


Healing Wish

by SimplyUnknown



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Black & White | Pokemon Black and White Versions
Genre: Also posted on nuzlocke forums, Blue Needs a Hug, Gen, Nuzlocke, Nuzlocke Playthrough, Ookido Yukinari-hakase | Professor Samuel Oak Being an Asshole
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:42:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 36
Words: 88,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24865498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SimplyUnknown/pseuds/SimplyUnknown
Summary: All Blue wanted was a vacation. But what he got was another journey.-Based on a Nuzlocke of Black.
Comments: 63
Kudos: 113





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Based on an actual playthrough.  
> Ruleset:
> 
> 1\. I can only catch one Pokémon per route.  
> a. Dupes Clause Activated  
> b. Shiny Clause Activated  
> c. Gift Clause Activated  
> 2\. If a Pokémon faints, it is dead.  
> 3\. Nickname everyone.  
> a. Theme is Japanese names.  
> 4\. I cannot use the Daycare.  
> 5\. No trading.

He was grateful they were sitting at the table so that Lance couldn't see his hands twisting into his jeans. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" he asked quietly.  
  
"The League has been petitioned to have you removed as Viridian Gym Leader and replaced," Lance repeated solemnly. "We received it earlier today, but I thought we should let you know immediately." The dragon-type user chewed his lower lip and sighed. "Blue, I'm sorry."  
  
"What are the charges?" Lance blinked in confusion, forcing Blue to elaborate. "I know the rules, Lance. If a petition makes it this far, there needs to be a viable reason. **What are the charges?** " Realizing how loud he'd gotten, Blue coughed and tried to calm himself. "Sorry."  
  
"It's fine, it's fine. Arceus knows you're handling this a lot better than I would have, and you're what, ten years my junior?" Lance attempted a smile that fell flat at Blue's stare. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "The charges are incompetency, which is a load of Tauros-shit if I've ever heard any, but the recommendation for your replacement is someone that we...can't afford to overlook."  
  
Instantly, Blue knew who it was. _Of course it's him._ "Yeah, I can see why you'd want the guy who beat me as my replacement." A sour laugh escaped his throat as he leaned back, blinking rapidly at the ceiling to get rid of the furious tears building up. "Red finally got back from Sinnoh, huh?" A quick glance as the guilty look on Lance's face said it all. "Yeah, I thought so."  
  
"We're going to fight this, Blue. No one, Gym Leader or League member, wants to replace you unless you choose to step down." The redhead's face turned a kind of fierce normally only seen during League challenge battles. " ** _No one_** considers you incompetent." The snarled statement had Blue snorting.  
  
"Clearly someone out there thinks I am. Enough people to get a freaking petition through to the League to kick me out." Lance quickly dropped his head to avoid Blue's gaze. Something cold began brewing in his gut at Lance's reaction. "...Did it break a record or something for signatures?"  
  
The Dragon user chewed his lower lip for a bit, clearly weighing out the pros and cons. Finally, he sighed. "Blue, there was only one name on the petition."  
  
Blue was completely stunned. Any petition that made it to the desks of the league members had to have at least 50 signatures or it was tossed out. The only ones that were let through without it were either sent along with substantial evidence like a police report or... Oh. To both of their shock, Blue started to laugh. "Of course. Of fucking **_course_**. The league would have to look at any petition recommending Red and sent in by Gramps."  
  
"Blue..." **_SLAM!_** Lance jerked back from the table as Blue brought his hands down onto it, shoulders shaking. "Blue, just listen..."  
  
"Get out." Praying that the tears wouldn't fall, Blue jerked his head back up in a furious glare. " **Get out!** " Clearly reluctant, Lance pushed back from the table and headed for the door. As he stepped into the hallway of Blue's apartment complex, he paused to look back at Blue.  
  
"The League is on your side here, Blue. I want you to remember that." The gym leader didn't respond, and Lance let the door close behind him. As the footsteps faded, Blue shot to his feet, grabbed the first thing that came to hand (an old mug), and flung it into the wall. It shattered into pieces, and it was like the sound was the trigger Blue was waiting for. A desperate keen escaped his throat as the gym leader sank to his knees, tears streaming down his cheeks. He should have known. He should have fucking known that even after all this, after being one of the strongest gym leaders in the Kanto region for 6 years, after all the research on various Pokemon he sent back to Pallet, after becoming the fucking **_champion_** , he wasn't good enough. He'd never be good enough. Never measure up to Red. Not for Samuel Oak, Pokemon professor.  
  
"Damnit! **_Damnit! DAMNIT!!!"_** Blue slammed his fist into the floor, as though the pain would fix things. But of course it wouldn't. It never did. It would just make his knuckles bleed and maybe break a finger or two. Just like every other time this happened.  
  
But as he sank into misery, there was a knock at the door. Thinking it was either the downstairs neighbor complaining about the noise or the building superintendent, Blue forced down his sobs and ran a hand over his face. Hopefully he could keep himself together long enough to handle this. But instead, there stood an elderly woman at the door, dressed in purple and a dark oak cane in her right hand. Her sharp eyes gentled at the sight of the Viridian gym leader. "Oh, Samuel really did a number on you this time."  
  
And the sight of the closest thing he had to a grandmother is what broke him. Throwing all his pride aside, Blue flung himself into the outstretched arms of Agatha, buried his face in her shoulder, and started to cry.

* * *

"So that's why Lance called me." The former Elite 4 member sighed as she took a sip of the tea lovingly prepared by Blue's Alakazam, Harry. "God, Samuel truly is going senile, isn't he? It's probably because he isn't battling enough; that's what keeps me sharp." Blue let out a watery chuckle, still a bit raw from all the crying he'd done. Shadow, his faithful starter and Umbreon, nuzzled his face into Blue's stomach and Gale the Pidgeot chirpped in agreement before returning to his preening of Blue's hair.  
  
Staring down into his own cup, the small smile on the gym leader's face quickly faded. Agatha noticed this and reached over to pat his hand. "You'll be fine, Blue. The only person who would believe the shit Samuel is spouting is himself. Amazing that he can know so much about Pokemon, but be so wrong when it comes to his own grandson."  
  
"...Maybe I'm just not good enough," Blue whispered. Agatha sighed, set down her cup, and then clasped Blue's head so that he couldn't avoid her eyes.  
  
"Blue, that is the stupidest thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth. **_You are always good enough._** Hell, you're more than Samuel deserves, you and your sister." His Pokemon let out squawks and barks and various noises of agreement, making the old woman grin. "And I doubt your team would put up with you if you were truly incompetent."  
  
"You're right about that," Blue agreed as he ran a hand down Shadow's back and used the other to scratch Gale under his chin. "Thank you."  
  
Agatha waved off the thanks easily. "You know what I think? I think you've been working too hard. Why not take advantage of all this...fuckery, and go on vacation."  
  
"Va...vacation? Now?" Blue opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off by noises of agreement from his entire team. Egbert the Exeggutor floated a suitcase out from...somewhere in his room. When did he even get that? Harry and his Arcanine Beast started piling in random clothes and outfits while Gale and Shadow called out recommendations from the couch. The pokeball that housed his Gyarados, Maggie, rattled in clear eagerness while Agatha cackled.  
  
"Looks like you've been outvoted. When's the last time you've relaxed anyways? Probably before you started your journey, I bet." She held up a finger when Blue tried to answer. "And don't start talking about those 'days off' you have, because I know you spend them doing research for Samuel. And that's just as much work as your gym, Blue." Something appeared to occur to her and Agatha whipped out her phone. "Tell you what. I have an old friend in Unova, and it's just lovely this time of year. He's been harping on me to come visit and sent me a ticket so why don't you take it?"  
  
"Unova? But I'd have to quarantine my team if we went there," Blue quickly pointed out.  
  
"Maybe that would be for the best," Agatha easily countered. She sighed at the confused look on Blue's face. "Look, Blue. If you travel with your team there, it will turn into just another journey for you. You'll constantly be pulled into battles by people who want to beat a former champion and current gym leader. For this to **_truly_** be a vacation, you should probably step away from battling for a bit. Just be a tourist, see the sights, eat some good food. Be a teenager while you still are one instead of a miniature Samuel." The Ghost type user reached out and ruffled Blue's hair. "I'll look after your team while you're gone unless you'd rather your sister do it?"  
  
Blue glanced from the stern face of Agatha to the eager faces of his team. Beast trotted over with a closed and packed suitcase in her mouth to plop it on the couch nex to him, wagging her tail. "But I...with the petition and..."  
  
Agatha sighed and pressed a hand to her temples. "Blue, when is the last time that you've been able to talk to someone without them comparing you to Samuel or that Red boy?" Reluctantly, Blue closed his mouth and looked away. "That's what I thought. Unova is far enough from Kanto that most of them probably haven't heard of Samuel, Red, or you."  
  
"You forget he's the youngest champion ever," Blue muttered, receiving a death glare in response.  
  
"Don't sass me, boy. I may be retired, but don't you think I'm soft. But back to what I was saying, maybe you need some time away from all this. Find out who you are without your grandfather or Red." She gently squeezed his shoulder. "And if not, it's still a free vacation. Take the gift, Blue. For an old woman's sake if nothing else."  
  
Blue bit his lip and looked away from Agatha's earnest stare. Shadow bumped his head against his chest as Gale let out a chirp. Sighing, he leaned back and gave the shadow of his usually cocky grin. "Looks like I'm heading to Unova then."


	2. The Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blue makes it to Unova and meets some important people.

Plane rides were never fun, but they only got worse when they stretched into the double digits. Gritting his teeth, Blue checked his watch once more. Taking into account time differences, they'd be landing in Unova in approximately 6 hours and 37 minutes. Over halfway there, and Blue was already going a bit insane. He'd finished the book he'd brought with him while waiting to board, his laptop battery was practically dead, and the inflight movie about a boy dealing with abusive parents wasn't exactly what he wanted to watch right now. The only thing he could do was sleep, but his body was more than willing, his mind just wouldn't stop whirling.  
  
It had been three days since Lance had delivered the news and his trip had come together shockingly quickly. Apparently Blue had too many vacation days saved up. Agatha had sent him off at check-in with a bone-crushing hug and a promise to look after his team while Blue was in Unova. He had considered leaving them with Daisy, but his sister didn't deserve to watch his Pokemon while he was gone for who knows how long. The ticket had been one-way so Blue had no clue when he'd be returning to Kanto. And...he didn't want his grandfather to know that he'd left. At least not yet.  
  
_...What am I doing?_ Blue asked himself for the hundredth time since this all started. Part of him just wanted to turn around and head back to Kanto, where he could bury himself in work and battles and literally anything else that silenced his churning thoughts. If he wasn't busy, they tended to creep in. Thoughts like ' _you aren't working hard enough'_ or ' _you would have won that battle if you were a better trainer'._ Or worst of all, _'maybe this will make Gramps proud of me'_. Something that he'd never wanted to accept appeared to be impossible, at least for Blue.  
  
A loud snore split the air and jerked Blue out of his thoughts. He glared at the man sitting next from him who had been peacefully dreaming under a sleep mask since the plane had taken off. His head had fallen onto Blue's shoulder a couple of times, but he'd been easily shaken off. Though the noise wasn't doing much to help Blue's attempts to sleep. Sighing through his nose, Blue once again adjusted the gifted pillow against the side of the plane and closed his eyes.  
  
Whether it was the pure exhaustion or the change in position, Blue found himself drifting off. Back to when things were simpler, easier, when he still had a chance...

* * *

_Glancing at the lab clock, Blue impatiently paced back and forth. Today was the day. He was ten years old and Gramps had **promised** that he was going to give him a Pokemon. And not just any Pokemon either. But one of the rarest Pokemon in Kanto, an Eevee. Blue technically wasn't supposed to know about this, but Daisy had snuck the small Pokemon out of the lab every so often so that he and Blue could play together. Blue already had the perfect nickname picked out and together, they would become champions of Kanto!  
  
The door to the lab opened and Blue eagerly whirled around. "There you are, Gramps! I was..." His voice trailed off as he spotted Red trailing in after his grandfather, a slightly blank look on his face. "...waiting."  
  
Professor Oak blinked a few times as if surprised to see his grandson there. "Blue? Why are you here?"  
  
"You..." Blue's hands twisted into the messenger bag that he'd already packed. "You said you would give me a Pokemon today."  
  
Oak sighed and pressed a hand to his temples. "I said for you to come by later… Ah, whatever! Just wait there." He turned to beam at Red, who had been standing awkwardly near a wall. "Look, Red. You see that Pokeball on the table? You may have it. Go on, take it!"  
  
What? Blue's jaw dropped as Red's face transformed into one of pure glee. "Hey! Gramps! What about me? You promised that..."  
  
"Be patient, Blue," Oak scolded with a familiar scowl on his face. "I'll give you one later." Red paused for a second, nervously glancing from Blue to Oak before reaching out for the ball on the table that held the Eevee. That held Blue's Shadow. In a blind panic, Blue rushed forward and shoved Red aside, knocking him to the floor. He snatched the Pokeball and hugged it to his chest so that no one could take it. " **BLUE! What are you doing?"**  
  
"No!" Blue argued. "You promised me a Pokemon before Red and I want this one! Only this one!" Tears welled up in his eyes as he fought not to quiver under his grandfather's glare. Blue wasn't going to back down this time. If he did, he'd lose Shadow for good.  
  
After a few minutes, Oak sighed and rubbed his temples. "Oh, all right then. That Pokémon is yours. I was going to give you one anyway…" He looked over to Red, who had yet to get to his feet. "Red, come over here. You can have the Pikachu I caught earlier. It's not quite tame yet, but that shouldn't be a problem for you." As Red walked over to get his own starter, Blue let out the fluffy Eevee.  
  
"Hey Shadow. We're partners now," Blue whispered. The Normal type glanced up, let out a delighted squeal at the sight of his favorite boy, and leaped into his arms to cover his face in licks. Laughing, Blue cuddled Shadow against his chest as Red attempted to get to know the Pikachu. Shadow yipped and narrowed his eyes at the yellow mouse Pokemon. "You wanna fight?" Blue asked, earning a determined nod from the Pokemon. He smirked and let Shadow drop to the floor in a battle ready crouch. "Hey Red! Let's check out our Pokémon! Come on, I'll take you on!" _

* * *

"Hey, kid?" An unfamiliar voice and a jabbing into his shoulder pulled Blue out of his dreams. Or were they just memories... He blinked blearily up at his seat partner, who pointed out the window. "We'll be landing in about ten minutes so I thought I should wake you up."  
  
Blue glanced out the window to see they were rapidly approaching the ground. "Thanks," he mumbled as he stiffly pushed himself off the wall and rubbed a hand over his eyes.  
  
"No problem," the man beamed before it turned into a confused frown. "Do I know you from somewhere? You look kinda familiar." Instantly, Blue tensed. The whole point of this vacation was to not be recognized.  
  
"Just have one of those faces," the gym leader muttered, keeping his gaze focused on the window. Thankfully, the man let it go out of respect or lack of interest. Either way, it kept Blue stiff and awkward in his seat until the plane touched down. Hoisting his old messenger bag onto his shoulder, Blue kept his head down and hurried off of the plane into the airport as quickly as he could. Agatha had said there would be someone waiting for him...  
  
"Oh, there you are!" A tall unfamiliar woman waved from near the baggage claim, holding a sign that read **Agatha's Vacationer**. _At least it's not my real name,_ Blue thought as he made his way over to her. Her tawny hair was done up in an odd combination of a ponytail and a bun, all piled atop her head, and her green eyes looked friendly. She was dressed in a long white lab coat over a white top and a mid-length green skirt. "My name is Professor Araragi, and welcome to Unova!"  
  
Blue blinked a few times, mentally going over his conversations with Agatha before he left Kanto. "Agatha used male pronouns when talking about you," he stated cautiously.  
  
Araragi laughed, a warm sound that almost reminded him of Daisy. "She was probably referring to my father, who was also Dr. Araragi. They're old friends and usually get together once a year for reminiscing and a Pokemon battle that leaves a new crater somewhere."  
  
"Sounds about right," Blue muttered, earning him another laugh.  
  
"Doesn't it though?" The baggage claim siren began wailing, signalling that bags were about to start coming out. Araragi gestured to the conveyer belt that had started moving. "You have any bags we need to wait for or shall we get going?"  
  
"No, this is it." Beaming, Araragi lead the way to her car, keeping up a steady stream of chatter that jumped from his flight to Unova tourist spots to the battles between her father and Agatha.  
  
"I'm not sure how much sleep you got on the flight so feel free to take a nap while we drive. Or if you want something to eat or some coffee, we can stop by a drive-thru somewhere. My interns are looking after the lab and aren't expecting us until 9." This statement made Blue jolt.  
  
"Your interns know about me?" Araragi nodded in clear confusion at his reaction and Blue hastened to explain. "I was hoping...this was supposed to be a real vacation and if people know who I am then..."  
  
"Ah, I see." Her eyes cleared and she nodded in understanding. "They know that you're a visitor from Kanto and that an old family friend asked me to look after you, but I didn't give them your name. That being said, they probably will recognize you."  
  
"Great," Blue groaned as he leaned forward and buried his face in his hands. "I told Agatha that this would happen."  
  
"It will probably only be them though," Araragi added thoughtfully as she started the car. Blue looked up in clear bafflement. "The main reason they'd know who you are is because of the research papers that you've turned in and the majority of Unova don't read those."  
  
"You...you've read my work?" Blue blinked a few times in sincere shock.  
  
"Yours and your grandfather's, yes," Araragi nodded. "I was very impressed with the paper on the differences between Kanto's two Nidoran populations and what caused them to split into two distinct species. My research focus is the origin of Pokemon, you see?" Blue nodded numbly. His grandfather had never told him the results of his research after he'd sent it in. Part of him had assumed it had been trashed. "If you have the time, I'd love to pick your brain on a few topics, but only if you want to. It's your vacation after all! Plenty of time for work later!" Grinning, Araragi reached over and started fiddling with the radio. "Any preferences?"

* * *

Forty minutes and one breakfast sandwich later, Blue was feeling more like a normal person than an exhaustion zombie. Brushing the crumbs off of his shirt, he looked out the window at the small white building they were driving to. "Here we are, home sweet home," the Pokemon professor beamed as she parked. "They'll be waiting for us, so be ready for more than a few questions."  
  
"Nothing I haven't heard before," Blue muttered as he stepped out of the car. Nuvema Town was small, open and airy. It reminded him a lot of Pallet Town, and he wasn't sure if the comparison made him homesick or uncomfortable. Thankfully, he didn't have long to dwell on it as Araragi practically frogmarched him to the door and flung it open. Blinking at the sight, Blue commented dryly, "Well, I do have more than a few questions."  
  
Lying in the middle of the floor with his ass in the air was a young man dressed in blue, snoring away with his glasses cocked to one side. It looked incredibly uncomfortable. At a table sat an individual with long brown hair pulled into a ponytail with their head turned away from the door. Blue assumed they were asleep as well. A blond girl with a long white skirt and big green hat was sitting in a corner, scribbling notes into a notepad. She glanced up and beamed. "Oh, Professor Araragi! Welcome back."  
  
"Bel, why are Cheren and Touko asleep here rather than on any of the very comfortable couches we have?" Araragi questioned as she pushed past Blue.  
  
"We were running tests to see whether remaining stationary or moving around would affect how fast the move Yawn made people fall asleep," Bel explained. "Touko was sitting at the table and Cheren was jogging around the room before the Yawn kicked in. Oddly enough, Yawn actually worked more quickly when they were standing still rather than sitting or moving. Almost 12% faster for both of them!"  
  
"Really?" Blue bit back a snicker at the look of excitement on the professor's face. The desire for scientific discovery ran hot within Pokemon professors, it seemed. "I wish you'd waited for me to get back, I would have liked to see this."  
  
"Sorry Professor," Bel apologized before spotting Blue. Her eyes widened. "Oh my god. You're Blue Oak! Your paper on the effects of stress causing occasional premature evolutions in Pokemon was amazing!" She hopped to her feet and sped over to him, stars in her eyes. Blue flinched and backed away. "Oh, you must have so many ideas about Pokemon and..."  
  
"That's very nice and all, but I'm not here for that," Blue protested, feeling like a sample under a microscope.  
  
"Ow" The boy lying on the floor had apparently woken up, and had a bad crick in his neck for his troubles. Fixing his glasses, he glanced around the room before spotting Bel and Blue. Instantly, he strode forward and started pumping Blue's hand. "My name is Cheren and it's _wonderful_ to meet one of Kanto's youngest champions and gym leaders. Welcome to Unova! I do hope that you can find the time to go over some battle strategies with me!" Grimacing, Blue jerked his hand free. This was exactly what he was trying to avoid.  
  
"Bel. Cheren. What are you two doing?" The pair of interns blinked at the new voice and Blue's gaze was drawn to the girl who'd been sleeping on the table earlier. She was clearly awake now, watching the trio with cool blue-gray eyes. "Do you really need to jump the guy?"  
  
"Touko, do you not know who this is?" Cheren demanded, pointing a finger at Blue, who had to fight the urge to slap it away. "This is..."  
  
"Were you not listening to the Professor yesterday?" Touko interrupted as she pushed herself back from the table. "He's here on _vacation_ which means he's probably here to _relax_. I don't know about you, but being harassed by people I don't know isn't my idea of relaxing." She gave a light shrug. "Just a thought."  
  
Grimacing, Cheren and Bel backed away with their heads bowed. "My apologies for my rude behavior."  
  
"Yeah, sorry!"   
  
"It's fine," Blue answered, catching Touko's eye quickly. "Thanks." She smiled and nodded back.  
  
"Well, that settles things." Blinking, everyone turned to see Professor Araragi sitting on a chair, holding a file in her hands. "I was going to see which one you would prefer to travel with, but I believe that Touko would be the best option, Blue."  
  
"Travel?" "Me?" Blue and Touko answered in unison.  
  
"Of course! You didn't bring your Pokemon with you, Blue, so you'll need to travel with someone through Unova. And since you three were planning to leave on your journeys soon, it makes sense for him to tag along with one of you." _A journey? At their age?_ Blue shook his head as Cheren took a step forward.  
  
"Pardon me, professor, but why not me or Bel?"  
  
"Because you would badger him about his training skills and Bel would badger him about his research." She grinned at the guilty looks on her intern's faces. "Touko was the only one trying to respect him, so it seems like the healthiest decision." Araragi pointed at Blue. "Though I would advise using an alias of some kind. Using your real name is just asking to be recognized."  
  
"I guess," Blue mumbled as he glanced at Touko, who was chewing her lip. "Is this alright with you?"  
  
She shrugged. "I guess. But you should know I'm not doing the gym challenge or anything. I'm looking for someone so you aren't likely to get any gym battles out of me."  
  
"My normal life is gym battles," Blue countered. "I'm just...looking for some time away from it all."  
  
Touko nodded. "Got a name in mind?" Blue pondered for a few seconds.  
  
"...I think I'll use Jay. Middle name and all." Blue was surprised at the quick grin that appeared on her face as Touko offered a hand. He returned the smile with one of his own as he took it to shake.  
  
"Then welcome to Unova, Jay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we meet our rivals and the one who is actually the trainer in games, Touko. I'm using the Japanese names for them because I think it's a cool flip to have the people from the region based on Japan use their English names and vice versa for Unova characters. Touko might not think she'll be doing the gym challenge, but the story should prove her wrong.
> 
> As for Blue's dream and name change, the dream is actually based off of the actual dialogue of Pokemon Yellow. I had fun writing it and I think he'll be having a few more of these dreams later on. The name is because if he wants to move around Unova incognito, using a different name will help people think he's just a big fan of Blue rather than the actual Blue. I thought about Aoi, which means 'blue' in Japanese, but I thought it was too on the nose. And yes, this means Blue's full name is Blue Jay Oak. :3
> 
> We'll start meeting some Pokemon next time. Hope you all enjoyed this and leave a like or a review if you did!


	3. The Encounters

Whatever Professor Araragi had in mind when she said 'Jay' should travel with Touko, it probably wasn't this. The pair was sitting beneath a tall tree, waiting for Cheren and Bel to join them before heading for Accumula Town. Cheren had to recheck literally everything he'd packed before he left and Bel hadn't packed at all. Touko had suggested that maybe they wait a day so that they could prepare and Jay could maybe relax and sleep off some jet lag, but had been unanimously outvoted.  
  
Letting out a heavy sigh through her nose, Touko side-eyed the Kanto native. He looked pretty different from what she knew of the former champion and current gym leader. Of course, the pictures that Cheren had in his album of Pokemon Champions for all regions, meticulously updated and color-coded every six months, were back when Jay was around ten or eleven. Of course he'd grown up in the six years since then. But it was the expression on his face that surprised her.  
  
The first photo Cheren owned had been taken probably five minutes after Jay had claimed his new title. His smile had been practically wide enough to split his face open and he'd almost been glowing. That, or the person taking the picture wasn't the best and got too much backlighting. Maybe. Touko didn't know much about photography. The second picture, from about half an hour later, had been Red claiming the title. Jay had been in the backgroud, staring at his shoes, and almost clearly shattered by the turn of events. Like he'd been a crystal held up to the light only to be broken moments later.  
  
_I know how that feels,_ Touko thought as she abandoned the side-eyeing and looked at the teen head-on. He didn't appear to notice, just staring out at the open fields and forests and seeing none of them. Jay looked exhausted, but more than that he looked sad. The heavy kind that weighed a person down and ate at their soul rather than the kind that caused tears and loud wailing. Touko briefly weighed her options and then leaned back against the tree. "You know, I expected at least one question out of you."  
  
The sound of her voice made him jolt. "What?" Jay asked.  
  
Touko smiled, pleased to get some form of conversation going. "Well, you are a scientist, aren't you? Even if it's not your primary job, you are one. And every scientist, practicing or not, has questions they want answered." She shrugged cheerfully. "So unless you're telling me that you know literally everything there is to know about Unova, I'm a little shocked that you aren't pestering me right now. Even with all that jet lag."  
  
Jay raised a single brow, a trick that Touko immediately envied. Despite years of practice in various mirrors, she'd never been able to master it. "So, you're saying your ideal day would involve someone following you around and asking you pointless questions?"  
  
Touko hummed in thought. "Well, not pointless questions. Those tend to be more for trolling than anything else. But real questions, especially ones that can make you think and wonder? I like those. I like looking for the answers even if we don't have a way of knowing yet. One of the main reasons why I intern under the professor in the first place. But we're getting off topic." She briefly thought about poking him in the shoulder or the chest, and then almost immediately decided against it. They were strangers still, no need to test his boundaries just yet. "Are you not curious about the cities? The tourist spots? The Poke..." Touko trailed off and then immediately facepalmed. "I'm an idiot."  
  
"Er..." Touko ignored Jay's clear confusion to dig into her bag and pull out a pair of Pokeballs.  
  
"It's not only me that you'll be traveling with after all. I need to introduce you to the boys too." Without waiting for a response, Touko flung the orbs into the air, releasing her Pokemon. Hiroshi landed easily on his feet, swinging his scalchop eagerly. Koki, on the other hand, attempted to do an air-flip and ended up faceplanting into the dirt. The Lillipup quickly got to his feet and shook off the dirt, earning a squeal of dismay from Hiroshi. "Guys, this is Jay. He's going to be traveling with us for a while."  
  
The Pokemon had definitely claimed Jay's attention as he pushed himself into a kneeling position to examine the pair. "I'm pretty sure I know these ones. Dew...no Oshawott and Lillipup, right?"  
  
"Good memory!" Touko praised, beaming brightly. "Hiroshi here," she dropped a hand to rub the Water type's head, "is my starter from when I was ten and I caught Koki a little more than a year ago." The Normal type barked at the sound of his name before wandering over to sniff at Jay's shoes curiously. "Be careful with him though; he loves to chew on shoelaces."  
  
"I've got spares," Jay brushed aside as he scratched Koki behind the ears. Koki let out a moan and his left back leg immediately lifted up to start kicking. This earned him a surprised laugh from the Kanto native. "Do all Lillipup do this?"  
  
"Not all of them, but quite a few do." Touko sighed at the memory. "One of the best days of work was just sitting down and petting a bunch of Lillipup, Herdier, and Stoutland." Hiroshi let out an annoyed grunt, clearly upset at her lack of attention. She sighed and poked his cheek. "You're so spoiled, Hiro."  
  
"I guess I do have one question now that I think about it," Jay commented as Koki rolled over for belly rubs. "Why haven't you three left on your journeys yet? Especially since you said you got Hiroshi when you were ten."  
  
"Oh, that's Red's fault," Touko waved off, noticing the small flinch from Jay at the name. Odd. She'd have to remember that. "When you two became champions one after the other, it made the Unovan League take a hard look at how they were running things. Champions might not be completely in charge, but they do have a lot of say in how things are run. And when Red ran off, well..." she shrugged. "They realised that things needed to change. So they allowed kids to be able to own Pokemon at ten, but they can't challenge the League or start journeys until they turn sixteen at least. And they have to take various courses on camping, wilderness survival, Pokemon care, things like that."  
  
She leaned back to watch the clouds move overhead in the pale blue sky. "Course, that means a lot of kids only get one Pokemon, or two if they're lucky when they do turn ten. Lots of parents don't want to take care of a full team of six or more, especially with their kids in school most of the time. And while every kid wants to be champion at ten, a lot of them grow out of it. Move onto things like art or medicine or criminal justice. So we have less people taking the challenge, but a lot more who do make it farther because they've prepared for it."  
  
Jay nodded absently, clearly lost in thought. "I can see how that would work. Maybe I should bring this up when I get home."  
  
Touko shook her head. "Maybe, but put it aside for now. You're on vacation so you should enjoy it while you can." The sound of shouting had the group turn to see Cheren and Bel rushing over, bags on their shoulders, a green snakelike creature clinging to Cheren's head and an orange and brown piglet at Bel's heals. "And it's time to get started."

* * *

"Welcome to Accumula Town, home to musicians, artists, and legalized marijuana." Touko laughed at the shocked look on Jay's face as they entered the larger town. "Not what you were expecting me to say, huh?"  
  
Jay shook his head and he glanced from side to side. Touko could understand that; Accumula was pretty impressive. The walls of almost every building were decorated with various murals ranging from kiddy drawings to almost professional pieces. Some had been there for decades while others glistened with still wet paint. A gentleman in his sixties had a child no older than seven on his shoulders so she could add the gleaming tailfeathers to a rainbow bird Pokemon of myth, while a few blocks down a group of teenagers were stomping to a stereo playing. Hiroshi, clearly nervous with all the noise, scrambled onto Touko's shoulder as Koki kept pace with Jay's feet in an attempt to snack on some aglets.  
  
"Is...is it always like this?" the Kanto native slowly asked. Touko bit back her mirth as she lead him through the streets.  
  
"Yeah, pretty much. According to my mom, Accumula sprung up some 50 or 60 years ago as a sort of collective of like minds. Lots of focus on inner peace, chakras, and other stuff." Jay's raised eyebrow made her laugh once more. "And yes, a lot of people came here because it was legal to smoke here. Some couldn't stick it out and went north to Stration or south to found Nuvema, but a lot of them stuck around, had their own children. One of the greatest art programs in Unova here, and you do have to admit they're talented."  
  
"Can't argue with that," Jay agreed, pausing to admire the side of the Pokemon Center. It was an enormous yin-yang symbol, but with dragons instead of the typical symbols used. The white side was covered in a gleaming fire while the black sparked with electricity. "Wow."  
  
"Yeah. The art tends to change every few days or weeks so I'd grab a picture while you can," Touko advised as she snapped her own pic with her phone. "Lots of tourists come by here, or people looking for tattoo ideas." That earned her a laugh of her own as her phone vibrated with a text from Bel. "Oh, Bel wants to meet me. You want to wait here while I heal up and talk to her?"  
  
"Yeah. ...Thanks." Touko smiled and nodded in response before recalling her boys and entering the center. Bel was waiting by the door, practically vibrating with excitement. "Hey Bel. You get by your dad alright?"  
  
"He wasn't home. Business trip in Nimbasa for 3 days. I should be fine for a while." Her hands trembled for a second before the blonde girl got them under control. "But we're not here to talk about that. _What's he like?_ "  
  
Touko rolled her eyes as she handed her Pokeballs over to the nurse for healing. "And of course I have a complete understanding of him after traveling down Route 1 with him."  
  
"You know what I mean, Touko," Bel groaned. "He barely said two words to me or Cheren while we were there. He's..." She glanced around and lowered her voice to the softest whisper. "He's Blue Oak! Are you telling me you haven't spoken to him at all?"  
  
The brunette shrugged. "Superficial stuff only, I'm afraid." She frowned at the dissapointed look on Bel's face. "Really, Bel? If I started grilling him after telling you and Cheren off, I'd be the worst sort of hypocrite. The guy's here for a vacation. Let him enjoy himself." She trailed off as the nurse returned Koki and Hiroshi's balls to her. "He looks so tired."   
  
Bel winced. "Sorry, sorry. You're right. I just...it's exciting, right? Traveling through Unova with someone like him. Smart, talented, and you know he's cute."  
  
"I have other reasons for this journey, Bel," Touko stated flatly. Her hands tightened into fists at her side. Bel flinched and Touko mentally scolded herself. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that."  
  
Bel wrapped an arm around Touko's shoulder. "You'll find Touya, Touko. Cheren and I will be looking as well. Between the three of us, how can we not find him?"  
  
"...I know. Thanks, Bel." Touko forced a smile on her face and pushed aside the thoughts of her missing brother. "Come on, let's get going. We've got people waiting for us."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So chapter 2 is done and we finally met some Pokemon! While they aren't my favorite set of starters, I do love all three that Unova has to offer and have used them all in nuzlockes successfully before. I went with Oshawott this time as it is one of my favorites, and I used Snivy and Tepig in recent B2/W2 nuzlockes recently so Oshawott was due for a trip. Hiroshi has a naive nature, is alert to sounds, and of course has Torrent. I went with the name because it means 'ocean', which is fitting for a Water type. Koki, of course, was my Route 1 catch with a Naughty nature, is a little quick tempered, and Pickup. Sad there's no Intimidate later, but the nature is great. Koki means 'light' or 'brightness', which I picked because of the light color of Lillipup's fur.
> 
> It's not my work, but I think it looks really cool. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you all next time. Leave a like and a review if you want!


	4. The Discussion

Leaning back against the wall of the Pokemon Center, Blue silently watched the people going about their day. It still amazed him that so many people just strode by as though he was invisible. He'd never had that happen before, even before his journey. As grandchidren of Kanto's most famous Pokemon Professor, Blue and Daisy were used to being hassled by reporters or scientists or even their own neighbors from a very young age. After becoming champion, losing as champion, and taking over the Viridian Gym, Blue couldn't walk more than a few feet without being jumped by some kids begging either for a battle or a picture.  
  
But in Unova, other than what happened at the lab and airport, Blue was just another face in the crowd. It was...oddly freeing. So as he waiting for Touko to come back, Blue just relaxed and let the sun warm his face. That is, until the sound of trumpets and horns blared across the town. Blinking a few times, the Kanto native stared as a group of men and women dressed in old medieval armor marched forward, holding flags with an ornate P split by a backwards Z over a white and black background. Standing at the front was an older man in a thick robe with two eyes, a stern expression on his face.  
  
Lifting a hand, the group came to a halt in front of the center as the man stepped forward with outstretched arms. "Greetings people and Pokemon of Accumula. My name is Ghetsis. I am here representing Team Plasma. Today, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to talk to you about Pokémon liberation." His voice was strong and steady, almost hypnotic in a way. It definitely drew in a crowd as people young and old paused in their doings to watch the named 'Ghetsis'. "I'm sure most of you believe that we humans and Pokemon are partners that have come to live together because we want and need each other. However... Is that really the truth? Have you ever considered that perhaps we humans... only assume that this is the truth?"  
  
The people watching instantly began murmuring to themselves as Blue shook his head in disbelief. What was this man talking about? Ghetsis swirled his cape as he turned to stride towards one side of the growing crowd. "Pokemon are subject to the selfish commands of Trainers... They get pushed around when they are our... _partners_ at work... Can anyone say with confidence that there is no truth in what I'm saying?" More muttering. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, Pokemon are different from humans. They are living beings that contain unknown potential. They are living beings from whom we humans have much to learn. Tell me, what is our responsibility toward these wonderful beings called Pokemon?"  
  
"Liberation?" a voice near the back of the crowd called out. Blue squinted, but he couldn't make out a face or a figure. But Ghetsis latched onto the voice eagerly.  
  
_"_ That's right! We must liberate the Pokémon! Then, and only then, will humans and Pokemon truly be equals. Everyone, I end my words here today by imploring you to consider the relationship between people and Pokemon... and the correct way to proceed. We sincerely appreciate your attention." Snapping his fingers, Ghetsis and his Team Plasma marched onwards, heading towards a gate out of the city. The crowd of onlookers remained, chatting among themselves about the short speech and the strange men. A few kids were clinging to their family Pokemon and crying.  
  
"What was that all about?" The voice at his ear made Blue jolt as he turned to see Cheren stroking his chin in thought. "Does he really think he'll find a following for such an outlandish theory?"  
  
"Agreed," Blue nodded. "If I do or say something my team doesn't agree with, they won't hesitate to let me know it. A good trainer knows how to work with their Pokemon, not walk all over them."  
  
"Exactly! Hebi and Neko are the same." Cheren beamed, before that smile turned into a frown. "But I hope that people don't start doing anything stupid. Ideas can take on a life of their own sometimes."  
  
"I said **let go of me**!" The sudden shout made both boys turn to see Touko struggling against a tall young man with pale green hair. Koki was growling angrily from between Touko's legs and Hiroshi was chopping at the man's leg with his scalchop. As the two raced towards the pair, Touko managed to jerk a hand free and slam it into her attacker's nose. Howling in pain, the man fell back with a hand pressed against his bleeding face.  
  
"Touko, are you alright?" Blue asked as he reached the girl and her worried Pokemon. Touko nodded as she rubbed her sore wrists.  
  
"Yeah, mostly. I was watching whatever that was when this creep," she shot the man a glare at this, "suddenly grabbed me and started going on about Hiroshi and Koki."  
  
"What about Bel?" Cheren asked. "She said she would try to meet up with you. Where is she?"  
  
"Left as the rally got going. Thought it would be safer that way." Blue blinked in confusion at the comment, but Cheren gave a grave nod.  
  
"You...you hit me." The three blinked in shock at Touko's attacker, who hadn't run off like they'd expected. He just stood there, blood dripping onto his white shirt as he stared at the red on his hand. "Why did you hit me?"  
  
"Because you grabbed me without my permission and wouldn't let go when I told you to. Why _wouldn't_ I hit you?" Touko angrily asked. "And why should I report you to the cops?"  
  
The man pouted. "You were talking to them. You spoke to them. I wanted to talk to them too."  
  
An icy feeling started creeping up Blue's spine. Carefully, he put himself between Touko and the stranger, noticing that Cheren was doing the same. "We need to find the cops. Where's the nearest police station?"  
  
"It should be... _**OOF!"**_ Before Cheren could finish his sentence, the stranger's fist flew out and caught him square in the jaw. His glasses tumbled onto the pavement as he fell onto his back.  
  
"HEY!/CHEREN!" Blue and Touko shouted in unison. Koki growled once more and Hiroshi took an aggressive stance between Cheren and the man, who blinked in confusion at the Oshawott. Waving his scalchop, the Water type squeaked and snarled at the man before taking a battle stance.  
  
"She hit me. Why shouldn't I hit him?" He asked with a quiet sincerity that only made him seem creepier. He knelt down to look the Lillipup in the eyes. "My name is N. Will you be my friend?"  
  
"Stay away from him!" Touko snarled as she scooped Hiroshi into her arms. "Hell, stay away from all of us." The man's eager gaze darkened and he gave a heavy sigh.  
  
"I see. You can't hear them after all. How sad." He tilted the brim of his cap forwards to cover his eyes. "I thought you were...but I see I was mistaken. Farewell." Turning he began to walk away.  
  
"Don't you dare leave! Koki, stop him!" Touko commanded and the Lillipup leaped forward with an eager bark. N glanced over his shoulder and gave a sharp whistle. From out of the brush rushed a small purple Pokemon, a Purrloin if Blue remembered correctly, who raked its claws across Koki's face. "Koki!"  
  
"Forgive me, my friend," N whispered before the air around him shimmered and he vanished. After some brief wrestling, Koki knocked the Purrloin off of him and it scampered away. Panting, Koki pranced back to Touko, who immediately knelt to check his injuries.  
  
Cheren groaned from his place on the ground and Blue cautiously knelt down to help him up, glancing at Touko as he did so. "You aren't that good at battling, are you?"  
  
"Did I ever say that I was? Battling is Cheren's department, not mine," Touko shot back, earning a nod from Blue in return. Recalling her team, she crouched down beside her friend. "You okay, Cher?"  
  
"Headache, but I should be fine. I wasn't unconscious for all that...At least I don't think I was," the black-haired boy grunted as Touko and Blue helped him to stand. He stood firm for a few seconds before bending over to dry-heave.  
  
"Come on, there's a bench over there," Blue gestured as they half-lead, half-carried Cheren over to sit. "What the heck was all that about?"  
  
Touko shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. I think he saw me talking to Hiro and Koki after Team Plasma left, making a joke about them abandoning me, you know? Maybe he took it too seriously." She rubbed her wrists once more, which were starting to purple from N's grip. "I thought he was a mugger at first, which is why I shouted."  
  
"Screamed," Cheren corrected with a dry grin. "You definitely screamed, Touko."  
  
"Oh shut up," Touko shot back with a flush. Then she frowned. "But what bothers me is why only you two came over. Why didn't anyone else?" Blue blinked, mentally going over the scene. She was right; there had been plenty of people between Touko and him and Cheren.  
  
"Is there a Psychic type here in Unova that can learn Teleport? It could have been blocking you from everyone else. Also explain how he got away so fast," Blue pointed out. "I would have said an Abra, but they're not native."  
  
"An Elgyem or maybe even a Beheeyem might be able to do it," Cheren pointed out. "But then why not use it to block Koki?"  
  
Touko shrugged. "Whatever the case, we have more important things to worry about. Like getting you to a hospital, Cheren, and telling the cops about this." She got to her feet and pointed down the street. "Nearest of both isn't too far. Let's go." 

* * *

Several hours later, Touko and Blue finally reached the next town. Cheren would be kept at the hospital until the next day for observation, but refused to let Touko and Blue stay with him after the girl's wrists had been treated. It had been mid-afternoon by the time they'd set out again and the sun was setting on Stration City as they passed the gate. Touko gave a sigh of relief as dirt path made way for city streets. "I honestly thought we'd never get here. Why were so many people challenging us?" She grumbled and folded her arms over her chest.  
  
"Because you scream easy mark," Blue answered without thinking, earning himself a death glare. He threw up his hands in fake defense. "Sorry, but it's true. You know what I do for a living, and I can tell an unconfident trainer when I see one. And a lack of confidence usually means a lack of competence too, so people want to challenge you."  
  
"I'm not incompetent," Touko growled, cheeks pink with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. Blue sighed and ran a hand over his face.  
  
"I never said you were. But I saw you battle and you hesitate. A lot. And in a battle, one second can be the difference between a win and a loss." He pointed back towards Route 2. "Those kids weren't that great, but they acted a lot more confident than you and their Pokemon felt the difference." Touko sighed and glanced down at the belt holding three balls, two familiar and one for the Patrat she'd caught along the way.  
  
"You're right, you're right. Sorry Jay," she mumbled. "It's been a long day." Then she winced. "And now I sound awful because I'm not the one who flew from another region today before doing all this." Touko glanced down the street and brightened. "I'll make it up to you. There's a great restaurant and I'm buying."  
  
"You don't have to. I have plenty of money," Blue protested, but Touko shook her head.  
  
"No way. I earned enough from those battles and I can get us a discount since the owners are old friends. And," she hesitated before meeting Blue's gaze. "And it will be a way to thank you for coming when N grabbed me."  
  
"I didn't do anything," Blue pointed out.  
  
"You came when I called. That is more than enough," Touko countered before leading the way down the darkening streets. "Now come on, the dinner rush will be starting soon and I want to get a good table." Sighing, the Kanto native followed her lead. There would be time for arguing later.  
  
Thankfully, it was only a short walk to a large wooden building with big windows and a wide deck on the second floor. Blue could make out tables with long white cloths and various people sitting and chatting. Even the air smelled delicious. There was a guy about their age standing at the door, dark red hair spiked upwards in flowing waves. His bright grin grew even wider when he saw Touko and Blue approaching. "Touko! It's been ages since you've eaten here! How've you been?" He dropped the menu he'd been holding to scoop the brunette up into a spinning embrace.  
  
Laughing, Touko hugged him back before being set on the ground. "Hey Pod. Sorry, Araragi has been running us ragged at the lab. And I need to work to afford your food, even with your friendly discount." She waved Blue forward from where he stood awkwardly in the shadows. "This is Jay, grandson of one of the senior professor's friends. He's in Unova for the first time and I promised I'd treat him to the best food in the region."  
  
"Hey, nice to meet you. Welcome to Unova!" Pod held out a hand and Blue reluctantly shook it. "You're in good hands with Touko, she'll take good care of you. And she has great taste in food!" He winked playfully at the girl, who rolled her eyes and laughed. Blue shrugged, feeling out of place among the friendliness.  
  
"Alright, enough chattering. I'm starving and I know my team is too. Table for two plus three, Pod," Touko requested.  
  
"Right this way, milady!" Pod grinned as he snagged his menu from the ground and opened the door. Blue shot Touko a glance as she urged him inside.  
  
"Best food in Unova?"  
  
"There's no place better," Touko answered. "Now let's eat."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we finally met N and I hope he came out as I intended. I thought making him a little more aggressive would suit this story a bit more, especially considering some of the things coming up that happened in my playthrough. The battle with N was easy enough; Koki beat the Purrloin without hitting the yellow and gained two levels from it which is nice. The Bel battle was also easy so I skipped it. I took about 5 points of damage and all of that was Tepig on Oshawott.
> 
> Now that we're in Stration, we can get started on the situations that will have Touko taking the gym challenge. I don't see her as all that confident in battle for reasons that will be explained next chapter, and I thought it would make a good contrast for someone who's essentially a prodigy battler like Blue traveling with someone who's...not. Anyways, hope you all enjoyed the chapter, leave a like and a review if you did. See you all next time!


	5. The Gym

There were times when smugness was called for, and the look on Jay's face as he took a bite of his dinner had Touko fighting down a cackle of delight. "See? What did I tell you?"  
  
"Oh Arceus. This might be the exhaustion talking, but it's so good!" Jay groaned as he took another bite of his steak. "And now everything else I eat is never going to taste as good."  
  
"That's what sauces are for," Touko fired back as she glanced down at the floor. Hiroshi and Koki were eagerly devouring their own meals while Goro was cautiously nibbling at his bits in between cautious glances at the other restaurant patrons. She pondered patting his head to calm him before deciding against it. No need to scare the poor Patrat and get a bitten hand for her troubles.  
  
There was a brief lull in conversation as the two ate, but eventually Jay finished enough food to ask her a question. "So, you said you were looking for someone earlier. Do you think he's here?" Touko blinked in surprise as Jay jerked his head towards the center of the building. "You keep glancing around as though you expect to see someone."  
  
Thankfully, Touko had taken another bite of steak so she had the time to chew and organize her thoughts. Swallowing, she answered, "I don't expect him to be here since Pod would have mentioned it if he was. But hope springs eternal, I suppose." She gave a shrug, hoping to hide her nerves, but Jay just lifted a single brow in response. Mentally, Touko sighed. "I guess you deserve to hear this if we'll be traveling together. It's just...a sensitive topic for me," the brunette admitted as she pulled her phone out of her pocket and slid it over to Jay.  
  
The phone's background was a family picture from about a year ago. Her mom stood in the center, arms wrapped around her two children. Touko had been holding the letter detailing her acceptance as Araragi's intern with Hiroshi and Koki cheering at her feet while Touya lifted his new trainer license to the sky in triumph. His Tepig, Unchi, had been caught in the middle of an eager jump. "That's my older brother, Touya," Touko said quietly as Jay passed her phone back to her. "He's been missing for about six months now."  
  
"Six months?" Jay's eyes widened in surprise as Touko nodded sadly. "What happened, exactly?"  
  
Sighing, Touko shoved her half-full plate aside and leaned back in her chair. She wasn't hungry anymore. "Touya is older than me by about a year and never really lost that desire to become a champion like a lot of other kids did. So he was pretty excited when he got his trainer license. He and Unchi, that's his Tepig, left on their journey with a promise to call when they could. They got the first three badges near here pretty easily and he said he would call once he reached Nimbasa. It never came." Touko folded her arms over her chest, staring out into the crowd. Hiroshi, sensing her mood, crawled into her lap and hugged her. A small smile came to her face as she stroked the top of her starter's head.  
  
Jay frowned and rested his chin on bridged hands. "And the police weren't any help?"  
  
"They tried, but they didn't know where to start. No one knew if he'd made it to Nimbasa and then disappeared or got lost along the way," Touko explained. "The area between Castelia and Nimbasa can be pretty dangerous even for an experienced trainer. It's all desert with a lot of quicksand traps and some pretty dangerous Pokemon make their home there." She shook her head. "Even if he did make it past Route 4, Nimbasa is the focal point between the three main parts of Unova. He could literally be anywhere."  
  
"I know the chance is low that I could find him when the police and rangers couldn't, but I have to at least try. He's..." Touko trailed off with one hand fisting into her shorts. "He's my brother."  
  
Jay hissed out a breath, pushing aside his mostly empty plate as well. "I can't make any promises that we'll find him, but I can help you look, at least. I know..." he trailed off, his eyes gaining that distant look Touko remembered from earlier. "I know how it can be for someone to vanish on you."  
  
_Right, Red was gone for three years,_ Touko reminded herself. "Thanks Jay. It means a lot." She smiled at him, relieved when Jay pulled himself back enough to give one in return. "So, dessert or would you rather get some sleep?"

* * *

After splitting a slice of Cheri Berry pie topped with vanilla ice cream, something that Touko's stomach would pay for but she couldn't end up regretting, the pair entered the Pokemon center eager to sleep off the impending food coma. Touko waved Jay off as she stopped at the front desk to offer her Pokeballs. The nurse paused as she took them. "Oh, I see you're a new trainer here. Would you like to participate in our adoption program?"  
  
"Adoption?" Touko blinked a few times before a memory zipped into her mind. "Oh, the one with the Pan line! I forgot that was still going on."  
  
"Yes, it'll be ending next week," the nurse agreed. "But plenty of Pokemon are with worthy trainers so I believe we'll be running similar programs in the upcoming years. Since you have an Oshawott, you're eligible for a Pansear if you would like."  
  
"Adoption program?" Touko jumped at the sound Jay's voice right behind her. He snickered at her startled expression. "Sorry, couldn't help overhearing."  
  
"Yeah, it's something Pod, Corn, and Dent are running," Touko said with a faint blush on her cheeks. "There aren't many Pokemon this side of Unova that offer some good type coverage so the program can help trainers cover their bases. And a Fire type would be useful for Grass types..." Touko chewed her lip a few seconds before nodding. "Yeah, I'll take a Pansear."  
  
"Wonderful," the nurse beamed as she turned towards the back. "Akane has been waiting for a trainer. I'll introduce the two of you and she can spend the night with your team before you pick them up tomorrow." Touko nodded and the nurse quickly stepped through the door, returning with a yellow and red monkey Pokemon. Jay let out a snort.  
  
"Is it just me or does she look a lot like Pod?"  
  
"Other way around," Touko corrected with a giggle of her own. "The Stration triplets are identical ones, they just dye their hair and style it so they look more like the monkeys." Jay choked and Touko rolled her eyes. "Hey, be nice! They're great guys and strong trainers," she scolded before reaching out to shake the Pansear's outstretched hand. "It's nice to meet you Akane. Looking forward to traveling together." The Pansear nodded in response as she handed her Pokeball over to the brunette girl.  
  
"I take it Cheren and Bel will be taking advantage as well?" Jay asked as they headed up to their rooms. Touko shrugged.  
  
"Cheren, definitely. A Panpour would be very useful on his team. Bel...maybe. She's not a battler either, though the adoption portion might inspire her to help out." Touko paused, glancing at the number on her key. "This is me. I'll see you in the morning when we head to Nacrene."  
  
"Yeah. Good night, Touko. And thanks."

* * *

"What do you mean you won't let us through!?" After a good night's sleep, a decent breakfast where it looked like Akane was getting along with the team, and a hearty debate about the process in which such similar Pokemon species split off to become distinct with Jay, Touko had been looking forward to getting to Nacrene City. The museum was a favorite field trip location when she was younger and she was hoping that maybe she'd learn something about Touya. But nope. Instead, she was dealing with a balding man in his late 40s blocking the road.  
  
"Sorry girlie. But no one gets through without a Stration gym badge. There's dangerous Pokemon out there you know."  
  
"There's also a daycare center and a kindergarten," Touko hissed out. "Are you saying that everyone there has a gym badge? Including the four year olds?" The man shrugged and Touko fought the urge to scream. Instead, she whirled around and stalked back towards Stration. Jay, who'd kept quiet out of fear of being recognized, hurried after her with a cautious look on her face. "If I find out that those brothers set this up..."  
  
"Brothers? Wait, are you saying the restaurant owners are the gym leaders?" Touko blinked, her rage dying down for a second at the sincere confusion in Jay's voice.  
  
"Not exactly. It's mostly a part-time thing. The main ferry system for Virbank was shut down while they remodel the old gym there so the brothers were called into act as gym leaders for the time being." She rubbed her temples. "And that meant I got to hear all the complaining from three very angry sources."  
  
"So it doesn't make sense for them to put someone up to making people come for the gym badge." Touko froze, slowly turning to see a proud smirk on the Kanto native's face.  
  
"You did that on purpose." He shrugged cheerfully, and Touko shook her head in reluctant admiration. "I'm not sure whether to be mad at you or not." A few seconds of pondering and she nodded. "Both sounds good."  
  
"Well, it worked didn't it? Daisy used to do the same for me as a kid."  
  
"Daisy?" There was a pause and it was almost like a shutter had been pulled over Jay's face.  
  
"...My older sister." Despite a lot of curiosity, Touko pushed aside her questions and headed for the restaurant. She was pretty sure she heard a sigh of relief before Jay's footsteps echoed behind her. Thankfully, the door was unlocked despite the 'Closed for Food' sign in the window. This time, it was Corn who spotted the pair as he looked up from his sweeping.  
  
"Touko! Sorry that we missed you last night, a few cooks called in sick and we had to work double time to make up for it," the blue haired triplet apologized as he pulled Touko in for a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. "We aren't open, but I'm sure that Pod and Dent could whip something up quickly."  
  
"That's not why we're here, Corn. Did you know there's a guy blocking the path to Route 3 to anyone without a Stration Badge?" Touko asked. Corn's eyes widened and he shook his head rapidly.  
  
"No this is the first I've heard of it. POD! DENT! TOUKO'S HERE!" he shouted, leading to his brothers hurrying out of the back room. "Is it someone that you recognized?"  
  
"Older man, forties or fifties maybe. Balding, what's left of his hair is his mustache which is graying blond. Slightly overset, brown eyes." The description that Touko rattled off only earned shrugs and confusion, and Touko felt her own shoulders droop. "I was afraid of that."  
  
"Maybe someone from a gambling ring?" Pod offered, earning a glare from Corn. "What? Gym battle bets do happen you know."  
  
"To high level ones like Shaga and Huuro," Corn countered, folding his arms across his chest. "We get an average of about 1 trainer every few weeks asking for a battle. And most of them have no gym badges or maybe one. It's not that."  
  
"Since you are the gym leaders, why not just make him leave?" Jay asked. "Pretty sure he wouldn't turn you down."  
  
"If he bothers to stick around when he sees us coming," Pod answered. "Since we didn't ask him to do this, he might end up running and then we'll have to find him."  
  
"Um, why not just get the gym badge?" Everyone blinked before turning to the green-haired brother, who flushed and held up his hands in defense. "I mean, if he wants a Stration gym badge, you could just battle for it."  
  
"A...gym battle?" Touko asked hesitantly. She could feel her palms beginning to sweat and quickly wiped them on her shorts. "I'm not a gym trainer though."  
  
"You do have a license though," Corn commented, stroking his chin in thought. "And it wouldn't cause a hold-up on your travels while we handle this."  
  
"Yeah, and you know that Dent is the worst battler of all three of us and you'd be battling him!" Pod grimaced at Dent's wince. "Sorry bro. But you know it's true."  
  
"No, Corn is worse than I am!" Dent argued. As the brothers fell into squabbling, Touko bit her lip, not liking the direction this conversation was going.  
  
"You can say no, you know," Jay whispered quietly. "If this isn't what you want, we can just wait until they catch the guy or for Cheren to get his badge and let us through." Touko glanced at the Kanto native, thought for a few seconds, and made her decision.  
  
"Alright, I'll do it." The arguing stopped and four sets of eyes turned to stare at her. "This is the fastest way and it's only one battle, right?" Touko pulled up a grin she hoped didn't look fake and stuffed her hands into her pockets to hide the shaking. "So Dent, I challenge you to a gym battle." There was silence, and then Dent nodded.  
  
"As acting gym leader of the Stration Gym, I accept your challenge." He reached into a pocket to press something, and a wooden battlefield rose up out of the floor. Swallowing, Touko took her place on one side as Dent stood on the other. "The challenge for a trainer with no badges is against two Pokemon. Are you ready?"  
  
Touko let a hand drop to rub at Hiroshi's Pokeball. She knew the Oshawott had been listening when she felt it quiver in excitement. "I'm ready."  
  
"Then let the battle begin. Lillipup, let's go!"  
  
"Hiroshi," Touko called out as the two Pokemon took to the battlefield. Hiroshi's scalchop swung through the air as he landed while the Lillipup crouched in a battle stance. _Alright, you can do this, Touko! You've watched Cheren and Touya debate battle strategies for years, you can handle one gym battle,_ the brunette mentally ordered herself before calling out to Hiroshi. "Keep your distance, Hiroshi! Water Gun."  
  
"Work Up," Dent commanded. The Lillipup let out an annoyed bark as his fur was drenched in the cold water, but steam began rising as he charged up. "Good, now Bite."  
  
"Hiro, aim for the floor now." The wooden battlefield became slick with water, causing the Normal type to skid and slip onto his face. The Oshawott snickered in amusement, but Touko paled as Dent's face lit up.  
  
"Thank you for that, Touko. Lillipup, use the water." The Lillipup charged again before diving into a slide. Hiroshi's eyes widened as they collided, letting out a squeal of pain as the Normal type lunged for his throat.  
  
"HIRO!" Strategy flew out the window to be replaced with pure instinct. "Block it with your scalchop now!" Instantly the Water Type obeyed, keeping the Lillipup's mouth open with the shell. "Now let go!"  
  
"Wah?"  
  
"Do it Hiro!" Grumbling, Hiroshi let go of his beloved scalchop and the Lillipup jerked backward, not expecting the lack of resistance. "Now finish it." The shell clattered to the floor as a powerful Water Gun burst out of the Water type, sending the Lillipup flying off the field.  
  
"Not bad, Touko," Dent praised as he recalled the unconscious Pokemon. Touko nodded as Hiroshi rushed over with his shell back in hand, eager for praise for his fight. "But you still have one more Pokemon to face. Pansage!" Hoping that she wasn't making a mistake, Touko returned Hiroshi to his ball and released Akane. The Pansage blinked, the Pansear waved, and Dent just stared. "Oh. I forgot they hadn't finished the adoption program yet. I concede."  
  
"Wait, what?!" Touko's shout was joined by Dent's brothers and Jay, all looking as shocked as she was. Dent flinched.  
  
"She has a Fire type! Of course I'm going to lose! And wasn't this just to get her a badge anyway?"  
  
"If you were going to chicken out, why even have the first part in the first place?!" Corn yelled angrily.  
  
"It's things like this that make you the worst battler, Dent," Pod scolded, causing Dent to let out a squawk of fury. The trio was so busy arguing they didn't notice Touko's knees buckle onto the ground, practically trembling in relief. Akane rushed over and gently patted her on the hand, earning a weak smile in return.  
  
"You know when I said you looked like an easy mark?" Jay asked as he offered a hand to pull her to her feet. "I take it back. He's much worse." A weak laugh escaped Touko as the fear drained away.  
  
"There's a reason they make better restaurant owners than gym leaders."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we got some backstory for Touya and the first gym battle is done. Unova's first battle, regardless of the game, is annoying due to the lack of Audino and the way the Exp system works. But Black/White are definitely easier because of your elemental monkey. I also realize that I didn't give Goro's stats last time so I'll give them along with Akane. Goro has a Quirky nature, is highly curious, and has Keen Eye. His name means 'fifth son', which I picked because there are a lot of Patrat around. Akane's name means 'deep red' which fits a Fire type. She has a Lonely nature, is proud of her power, and has Gluttony. Would have worked better on a Pansage, but I can work with it.
> 
> Gym battle notes are below, and next time is the Dreamyard, which I am really looking forward to. Leave a like and a review if you want, and I'll see you all next time! 👋
> 
> After some training, Touko puts Hiroshi in front and heads for the gym. Dent is the one who will be battling her as her starter is Oshawott. Everyone is level 12.  
> Vs. Lillipup, male, and level 12. Water Gun and Work Up. Water Gun and Work Up. Water Gun and Bite. Potion and Water Gun. Water Gun crit KO!  
> Vs. Pansage, male, and level 14. Akane is up. Work Up and Incinerate. Vine Whip and Incinerate. Vine Whip and Incinerate. Vine Whip and Lick KO. Win!


	6. The Dreams

"If this happened in Kanto, he probably would have been fired," Blue commented as the pair strode out of the restaurant. The Stration trio was still arguing behind them, and neither was in the mood to try and interrupt. "You can't become champion unless you earn all eight badges and I wouldn't say that battle was earning this one."   
  
"Different standards for part-timers, and it's not like I'm looking to challenge the Elite 4 anyways," Touko replied as she gazed down at the glowing triad of triangles in her hand. Sighing through her nose, she slid the badge into her badge case and tucked it away. "At least we can finally get out of..." A cheerful tune rang out from her pocket and Touko flushed before plucking her phone out. "Hey Bel, you're on speaker."   
  
"Hi Touko! Are you still in Stration?" Touko and Blue exchanged glances before Bel moved on. "If you are, could you do me a quick favor? I ran into Professor Makomo and she asked me to collect some Dream Mist from the Dreamyard, but there's a tree blocking the way and my Pokemon can't learn Cut and..."   
  
"We'll be there," Blue interrupted, a little confused at the way Touko stared at him in shock. "Can you give us some time?"   
  
"Oh of course B...I mean Jay! And thank you!" Bel quickly hung up and Touko slowly pocketed her phone.   
  
"You didn't have to do that, you know. This is your vacation and you really haven't had the time to enjoy any of it. You _can_ say no, you know," the brunette pointed out. Blue gave a shrug.  
  
"It's pretty much what I did back home anyways. It's not that big of a deal." Touko tilted her head, eyeing him in a way that made the gym leader want to squirm. "What?"   
  
"You don't know how to vacation properly, do you?"  
  
"There's a _proper_ way to vacation?" The Unova native rolled her eyes before turning on her heel.   
  
"We'll have to work on that later. Come on, the Dreamyard is this way." A mixture of bemused and annoyed, Blue followed her to the far edge of town where trees took over and neat cobblestone paths became overrun with grass and dirt. His eyes widened in shock as a crumbling old building came into view. An old metal fence that looked almost completely rusted over surrounded the place, except for a specific spot where a small tree had been planted. Bel looked up from a small book she'd been reading to wave them over.  
  
"Thank you so much, Touko! I would have asked Cheren, but you know he's been training for his first gym battle and you know how he gets!" Bel babbled as she awkwardly shoved the book into her bag before Blue could glimpse the title. "And how is your trip going so far, Jay?"   
  
"Alright," Blue mused as he looked past the fence to the ruins beyond. "What is this place? You called the the Dreamyard?"   
  
"Yeah, it's an old lab from back in the 50s," Touko answered as she released Akane from her ball. "They were doing a lot of research on dreams and sleep so they caught a lot of Munna and Musharna. Turns out if you put a bunch of angry Psychic types together, you get this."   
  
"They weren't producing enough Dream Mist naturally for the experiments, so the scientists tried to force them," Bel explained quietly as Akane flashed her claws and slashed through the tree. "The Munna weren't strong enough to stop them, but there were almost 50 Musharna as well. It...it was an ugly time." Blue let out a reluctant whistle of appreciation.   
  
"And this...Makomo wants you to get some for her?" He glanced at the patches of grass that were located all around the ruins. "Is this safe for you?"   
  
Touko smiled as she stepped through the hole Akane had created. "It's a lot safer than it was before. After the Musharna and Munna broke out, the old gym leaders got together with some other Psychics to act as translators and negotiate with them. Since all they really wanted was to be left alone, the League gave them the Dreamyard as their own and brought all the scientists to trial for Pokemon abuse. We're still allowed to collect Dream Mist if we want to, but it's a harshly regulated substance and we can only collect it from an uncoerced Munna or Musharna. It's really easy to tell if you took Dream Mist by force," she added at the confused look on Blue's face.   
  
"And Koinu knows Bite so I'll be fine if they get aggressive," Bel added quickly, releasing her own Lillipup from his ball. "But most Munna are pretty shy and the Musharna rarely show up so...Oh! Hello there!" The blonde girl beamed and waved at two small pink floating Pokemon with bright red eyes. They hovered cautiously as Bel removed a few empty glass bottles from her bag to set them on the ground. "I'm looking for some Dream Mist so if you want to donate some or know of any friends who'd be willing to, could you let them know?"   
  
One of the Munna bumped against the other and gave a high-pitched squealing sound. The other gave a sort of air shrug before floating over. Bright pink mist began slowly dropping into the bottles. Blue watched in silent awe, mind composing plenty of questions to ask once this was done. But this was not to be as a man and a woman dressed in armor with a familiar logo on the front strode out from outside the Dreamyard. "Hey! What are you doing to those Munna?!"  
  
"Oh Arceus, not them again," Touko groaned as she reached for one of her Pokeballs. Bel just looked baffled as the Munna stopped producing Dream Mist to hover in confusion.   
  
"What? I'm just collecting Dream Mist. Who are you?" she asked as Koinu put himself between her and Team Plasma and began growling.  
  
"Why do you need to extort defenseless Pokemon for Dream Mist? Humans survive without it in other regions and we can too!" One of them declared, striding forward with arrogant purpose.   
  
The other shook her head sadly. "Humans can be so cruel to dear Pokemon. Surely they would be better off without humans. I mean, look at you. You want something from them and you just take it!"   
  
"I...I..." Bel glanced helplessly from the Munna to the grunts.   
  
"Wait a second, Bel didn't do anything wrong," Blue protested. "She asked them for permission and the Munna chose to do it. That isn't extortion."   
  
Touko glared at the grunts before reaching down to pick up a partially filled bottle. "There's an easy way to test this. If one of you samples some of what we collected, you'll see that it's pure." Her eyes narrowed to slits as Koki dropped into a hunting crouch. "Unless all you want is to start a fight." The Munna who had donated the mist quickly dove behind Touko and Blue for protection as its friend let out a squeal and vanished into the grass.   
  
"Maybe you need some sense knocked into you instead!" But as their hands dropped to the Pokeballs on their belts, a low humming filled their ears as dark purple smoke began spreading along the ground. Bel let out a terrified shriek and Touko paled as she recalled Koki. "Oh crap!" the female grunt wailed as she turned to run, but she almost crashed into a large purple Pokemon with a pale pink head and closed eyes. "Musharna, we're...just..." She swayed and collapsed onto the ground with a loud **thump**.   
  
"Touko, what's..." Blue started to ask before everything went blurry. He could barely see the three other humans collapsing onto the ground before everything went dark around him.

* * *

_Blue stared down at the unconscious body of his starter. The last sparks from the Pikachu's face fizzled out as he turned his back to leap onto a smirking Red's shoulder. It was over; he had lost. "Why," the boy whispered as he reached down to scoop up Shadow into his arms. "Why did I lose? And that was the moment that Professor Samuel Oak strode into the hall with a beaming smile on his face. One that had never been directed towards his own grandson.  
  
"Red! So, you won! Congratulations! You're the new Pokémon League champion! You've grown up so much since you first left with Pikachu! You've truly come of age!" His grandfather patted Red on the back before turning a furious gaze to Blue, still kneeling on the floor. "Blue."  
  
"Gramps, I..." Oak held up a hand and Blue immediately fell silent.  
  
"… I'm disappointed in you." He ignored Blue's flinch and continued. "I came when I heard you'd beaten the Elite Four. But, when I got here, you had already lost! This is a new record for shortest reign as Pokemon Champion." The Pokemon Professor let out a heavy sigh and shook his head as tears filled his grandson's eyes. "Clearly you have forgotten to treat your Pokemon with love and trust."  
  
 **That's not true!** Blue wanted to shout, but his grandfather had already turned away to talk to Red again. Shadow let out a whimper in his arms before blinking them open. He sadly gazed up at Blue before licking his hand in apology. His eyes stinging, Blue dropped his head and scooped up his starter before racing away. If anyone called for him, he didn't hear. He didn't deserve to be there anyways.  
_

* * *

Blue jerked awake, unwilling and unable to remain trapped in the memory of the worst day of his life. He glanced around, not recognizing anything and half expecting to be ten and the loser of another battle between him and Red. But instead, he appeared to be in a large white room with purple pictures on the walls. A hand on his shoulder made him jump, turning to see Touko looking at him with a sympathetic look and holding a glass of water in her hands. "Drink this. It should help with the headache you probably have."   
  
He didn't have one, but eagerly downed the liquid anyways. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he grunted a thanks and received a nod in return. "What happened and where are we?"   
  
"What happened is the reason you can tell if someone forced a Munna or Musharna to give them Dream Mist," Touko explained as she sat on a small stool near the bed Blue was on. "If it's forced, Dream Mist causes nightmares and hallucinations. Guess the Munna that ran off sounded the alarm and the Musharna wanted to get us out of there." She jerked her chin towards a set of stairs. "Dr. Makomo found us just outside Stration when it took too long for Bel to get back to her. The grunts were taken away by the police, but she watched us while we came out of it."   
  
Absorbing the information, Blue set down the glass and folded his hands together. "What about the other Munna?" Touko smiled and tapped a new Pokeball on her belt. A reluctant smile crept onto the Kanto trainer's face. "Ah. I guess that's one way to get a new team member."   
  
"I guess it is," Touko replied, her smile fading slightly. "Jay, you were asleep the longest of all of us. Dream Mist...it's usually stronger on people who have bad experiences to recall. You might get asked some questions about it." Blue could feel himself stiffen involuntarily and Touko shook her head. "You don't have to answer them, but I thought you'd like a warning before we went down. Unless you don't feel up to it yet. You were out for about four hours."   
  
"Four..." Blue shook his head in shock. "I just want to get out of here." Get moving, get away, stop thinking about things that couldn't be changed. Touko frowned, but nodded.   
  
"Alright, I'll let the professor know and see if Bel wants to join us. You can come down when it's time to leave, that should help you avoid questions."   
  
"...Thanks, Touko," he said quietly as the brunette got up to leave. He didn't think she heard him at first, but then he caught a glimpse of a small smile as she went down the stairs. Hissing out a breath, Blue leaned back against the wall, staring up at a crackled ceiling. He hadn't thought about that day since...no, that was a lie. He thought about that day a lot, but he hadn't relived it in years. Maybe he should have, maybe his grandfather's most recent attempts to kick him out of his position in favor of Red wouldn't have been such a blindside otherwise.   
  
Blue could barely hear people talking from the floor below, but he tried to keep his focus on the ceiling, counting cracks until it was time to leave.

* * *

"Are you serious?" Blue wasn't sure whether to start laughing as Touko stared down the man from earlier, Stration Badge in her hand. Bel glanced from the man to Touko, clearly confused. "You asked for the badge, and now I have it. Why are you stopping me now?"   
  
"Does _she_ have a badge?" the man quizzed as he pointed at Bel. The blonde flushed and rapidly shook her head. "Then you're not going."   
  
"Seriously?!" Touko fumed, and then she paused. Blue could practically see a light bulb going off behind her eyes, and then the brunette paled. Blue turned to look at Bel, only to find that she'd gone just as white. "You can't be serious. This isn't legal!" Touko hissed, dropping her hand to Hiroshi's ball.   
  
"Ah ah ah! My team is level 30, so do you really want to challenge me to a battle?" the man smirked, folding his arms across his chest. "I have my orders, and no woman is leaving Stration until Mr. Shirai is back. So you might as well head back to Nuvema Town while you still can." Blue could hear Touko gritting her teeth in rage, but it was obvious her hands were tied. But his weren't. Blue carefully plucked an empty Pokeball from Bel's partially opened bag and enlarged it.  
  
"She might not, but I can," he said, striding forward and lightly tossing the ball in the air to catch it again. "But how would your team fair against my team of level 60 and more?"   
  
"Si...sixty?!" The man gaped in shock. "You can't have that! No one has that except the Elite 4 and you're..."   
  
"Not from Unova," Blue countered, catching the ball one more time and smirking. "So, I'll give you one chance to run. Unless..." He lifted the ball to spin it around on one finger. "Unless you think you can beat me?" The man glanced from the ball to Blue's cocky smirk, and then he bolted. Sighing in relief, Blue caught the ball and turned back to face the girls. Bel was gaping at him in shock, but Touko was grinning gleefully.  
  
"That was _brilliant!_ Did you see the way he took off? Probably halfway to Accumula by now!" She cackled before giving a delighted twirl. "Looks like we won't have to worry about him anymore."   
  
"...but he was here because of me," Bel whispered. Touko immediately stopped and wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulders.   
  
"He was here because your dad is a jerk, Bel. That's not on you," the brunette stated firmly. "We won't let him stop you, I promise."   
  
Bel was silent for a few minutes before shaking her head. "I...I'm going on ahead. See you later Touko and thank you Jay for the help." Before anyone could say a word, she sprinted down Route 3. Touko sighed and ran a hand through her ponytail.   
  
"I hope she doesn't take this too hard. I'll need to talk to Cheren once he catches up," she muttered to herself. Blue opened his mouth to say something, and then decided against it. He knew all about family problems you didn't want to talk about after all. Asking about Bel wouldn't be fair.  
  
"Shall we get going then?" he asked instead, earning a relieved smile from Touko.   
  
"Yeah, let's."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we finally left Stration, and dealt with the Dreamyard as well. I always felt like Team Plasma blew their load a bit early in this game with the Dreamyard. The whole 'kicking Munna' part didn't really lend credence to their 'saving Pokemon' deal. I think if they'd played it a bit differently, like they wanted to protect Munna from being caught by trainers, it would have worked out a lot better. So I tried to go with something different here.
> 
> And I did catch a Munna here at the Dreamyard. The monkeys are something I never counted as a catch so this was legal for me, even though I ran into 3 Patrats first. Her name is Yume, which means 'dream' or 'vision'. Hardy nature, proud of her power, and Forewarn. Now I have a use for the Moonstone as Munna is the only native Unovan Pokemon who evolves via Moonstone. Leave a like or a comment if you enjoyed this update, and I'll see you all next time!


	7. The Rescue

" ** _TOUKO!!!"_** The angry shout made Touko stop in her tracks and let out a heavy sigh. She knew that this would be coming eventually, but had hoped for a bit more time before she had to deal with a furious Cheren striding up the road towards her and Jay. Drumming up a smile, she turned to face her angry friend.   
  
"Cheren, hi. Look, I know what you're thinking, but if you would just let me..."   
  
"You got a _**gym badge**_! From **Stration!** And you only battled one Pokemon for it!" The boy flung his hands up in the air in angry exasperation. "You said you weren't going to do the gym challenge! What the hell, Touko?!"   
  
Touko glared, feeling her own temper brewing. "If you could calm down for a second, I could easily explain why I had to get a badge. But instead, you just start yelling and accusing like you always do!"   
  
"At least I didn't lie to one of my oldest friends!"   
  
"I wasn't lying!"   
  
"Er, should I..." Jay hesitantly asked, causing both Touko and Cheren to whirl on him.   
  
**_"BE QUIET!"_** They shouted in unison. Jay lifted his hands in silent surrender as Cheren released his Snivy and Purrloin.   
  
"Maybe you'll do better after a battle that wasn't _**thrown in your favor**_ ," the bespectacled boy hissed as his team fell into battle positions. Touko hissed out a sigh and released Akane from her ball.   
  
"Just, just light them on fire, Akane," Touko grumbled as she pressed a hand to her throbbing temples. Akane looked at the two other Pokemon, shrugged, and immediately started firing Incinerates off. The smell of burnt leaves and hair filled the air as Cheren and Touko stared each other down. Struggling to rein in her temper, the brunette tried once again. "Cheren, I promise you I'm not doing the League Challenge. You know how much I hate battling, why would I subject myself to more?"  
  
Cheren folded his arms across his chest and scowled. "Then why do you have one? Why did Pod spend half his battle with me yelling at Dent about how he forfeited after seeing you have a Pansear?"  
  
This was where it got tricky. Side-eyeing Jay, who was watching the drama curiously, Touko chose her words carefully. "Jay and I were blocked by an associate of Bel's dad." Cheren's eyes dropped to his sides as the anger vanished from his face. "Apparently, he was told to prevent any woman from leaving Stration without the badge."   
  
At that statement, the black-haired boy's eyes dropped to the dirt, teeth worrying his bottom lip. Hebi, now black from the Incinerates, crawled to his feet to wrap leafy arms around his leg while Neko purred and wove circles between his ankles. One of Cheren's hands drifted to his pocket, where Touko knew he was rubbing the small keychain that she and Bel had given him two years ago. "That bastard," he whispered.   
  
Ignoring Jay's stare, the girl stepped forward to wrap her arms around her friend in a tight hug. It took a bit, but Cheren eventually returned it. "Yeah, he's a bastard. I didn't realize what he was there for until I'd gotten the badge. I'm really sorry Cher, I never meant to hurt you."   
  
"...I know. Sorry for yelling." Squeezing her one more time, Cheren stepped back and glanced down to recall his defeated Pokemon. "Though seeing your Pansear at work, you probably would have earned the badge anyways." Touko laughed at the true statement as Akane cheerfully clambered onto her shoulder. "So, what happened to the guy? Did he really let you pass with the badge?"   
  
Grinning, Touko turned back to gesture at Jay, who was looking less confused and a bit more embarrassed. "This guy got us through. Jay used an empty Pokeball and threated him with a battle against level 60s." Cheren snickered and Jay rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.   
  
"Yeah, well...I wanted to leave. And he wouldn't let us by since Bel was with us," he explained, causing Cheren to blink in surprise.   
  
"Bel was with you? What happened to..."   
  
**_"Out of our way!"_** The shout came only a few seconds before two people in familiar metallic armor bowled past them, shoving the trainers aside and knocking them to the ground. As Jay, Cheren, and Touko stared after them in shock while Akane chittered angrily, Bel came jogging up with a little girl clinging to her skirt.   
  
"Oh no, are you three alright?" The blonde asked as the girl tugged eagerly at her skirt.  
  
"Miss, my Pochi!" she whimpered, tears welling up in her eyes.   
  
"Bel, what's going on?" Cheren grunted as he pushed himself to his feet. Touko gratefully took Jay's hand to get herself up as the other boy began brushing off his clothes. "Why do you have a child with you?"   
  
Bel puffed up angrily with her hands on her hips. "Those Plasma grunts stole Emi's Pokemon from her! I tried to stop them, but they were too fast and..."   
  
"Wait what?!" Touko gasped. "Why would they take a Pokemon from a child?"   
  
"In their mind, they were 'liberating it'," Jay muttered. Cheren scowled and started stalking down the road. "Hey, where are you going?"  
  
"What do you think? I'm going to get that Pokemon back." Emi gave an eager gasp as the bespectacled boy turned to scowl at the Kanto native. "Unless you don't think I can handle it?"  
  
"Normally, of course," Touko quickly interjected. "But normally, your Pokemon weren't just beaten by my Pansear setting them on fire." Akane snickered behind a hand and Cheren's grumpy expression faded into one of mortification.   
  
"Oh. Right." He pondered for a few seconds before nodding. "Maybe cooperation might be the best idea."   
  
"Maybe," Jay drawled as Touko giggled. He turned to look at Bel, who was shifting from foot to foot. "You should probably take Emi back. We'll find you after we get her..." He paused to recollect. "Pochi back."   
  
"Right. Be careful, all of you," Bel warned as she took Emi's hand once more. "Let's head back to the school to wait, Emi. You can trust them, my friends are very strong."   
  
"...Okay." The little girl reluctantly let herself be lead away, leaving the other three behind. Nodding in unison, they rushed off.

* * *

"Well, I guess we can be grateful that you caught us at the turn, Cheren," Touko commented dryly as she stared at the entrance to Wellspring Cave. Cheren scowled as he looked up from applying Potions to his Snivy and Purrloin.   
  
"I already apologized, didn't I," he muttered. Touko sighed and Jay shook his head. Luckily, Cheren only caught sight of the latter. "I suppose you think this is funny, don't you?"  
  
"...Something like that," Jay muttered, stepping closer to the entrance. "You're sure there's no secret tunnel they can use to escape?"  
  
Touko shook her head firmly. "This is the only way in or out of the cave. Rest of the walls aren't stable enough to create a new exit on this side and they'd have to tunnel through some pretty thick bedrock to make an exit on any other side. No, they're pretty stuck."  
  
"Then let's rescue that Pokemon," Cheren stated, leaving his healed Pokemon out to look more intimidating. Pondering, Touko released Hiroshi and Koki to join Akane. Yume wasn't strong enough if a fight broke out and Goro didn't seem comfortable with the rest of the team. The three trainers and the Pokemon slowly entered the cave, which thankfully was still well lit by the afternoon sun. Skulking in the corner were the two Plasma grunts, who were muttering to each other over the stolen Pokeball in one's hand. Touko gestured so that Cheren could take the lead, who nodded gratefully. "Hey! What were you thinking, stealing a little girl's Pokemon?"  
  
The grunts jolted in shock before whirling around. Their eyes widened at the sight of Jay and Touko. "Oh crap, not you two again! We already found the blondie," one of the groaned.   
  
Jay's eyes narrowed in anger. "You were the ones at the Dreamyard? What are you doing here, I thought the cops took you away!"   
  
"Couldn't keep us since we did nothing wrong," the female scoffed with a toss of her head. "Maybe they can realize the truth for themselves."   
  
"Nothing wrong," Touko stated flatly. "You stole a Pokemon from a five year old. I wouldn't call that nothing."   
  
"It wasn't theft. It was a rescue mission!" the male grunt countered. "This poor little Pokemon was being abused dreadfully. We saved his life!" Touko could practically hear the tiny violins playing as a legitimate tear welled up in his eye. "Thinking of all the torment this poor little Lillipup had to suffer...Oh, what a poor thing."   
  
"Stay strong Rigo," the other grunt whispered, squeezing her compatriot's arm. "We did good work today. One less Pokemon is being abused."   
  
Touko and Jay shared equally unimpressed looks while Cheren pinched the bridge of his nose. Their Pokemon just looked baffled. "You're saying he was abused by a little kid? How exactly would that work? Did she give him too many treats?" Jay questioned, folding his arms across his chest.   
  
Rigo and the other grunt exchanged looks, and then nodded. A flash of red light revealed the Pokemon, causing Jay to gawk, Touko to gasp, and Cheren to just stare. Sitting on the floor of the cave was a Lillipup dressed in a pale blue princess dress covered in sparkles. A high frilly collar covered his mouth, but you could still see the bright pink lipstick smeared messily over his fur. A clunky tiara covered in heavy rhinestones drooped around one of his ears as the Lillipup glanced from trainer to grunt in confusion. Rigo grinned smugly. "Can you honestly say that this Pokemon has not been abused?"   
  
"...Okay, this is pretty bad," Jay admitted. "But for Arceus's sake, she's a little kid! Taking away her Pokemon is too severe a punishment, and she can learn to do better."  
  
"No, she had her chance," the female grunt denied. "She clearly doesn't care about Pokemon unless they're being used as dolls for her. Right, Rigo?"  
  
"Right, Unari!" Touko sighed and stepped forward.  
  
"Look, there's one big thing that you're forgotten here," she pointed out. The grunts squinted at her in confusion as Touko knelt down to look Pochi in the eyes. "Hey Pochi. You don't look happy right now." The Lillipup stared up at her and slowly shook his head. "I take it that you don't like the costumes that Emi puts you in when she starts playing." Another head shake, this time more vigorous. "But you love Emi, right?" This time, a rapid nod. "Do you want to go back to Emi, even if it means wearing silly costumes?" This time, the nodding was so fast that the tiara flew off Pochi's head and landed somewhere deeper in the cave.   
  
Smiling, Touko got to her feet and dusted off her shorts. "Well that's settles things, doesn't it?" She walked up to Rigo and held out her hand. "We'll be taking Pochi back to Emi now."   
  
"That Lillipup has..." the grunt protested as Unari's hand dropped to a Pokeball at her waist. Behind her, Koki let out a little growl and Hiroshi waved his scalchop around as Akane's lips heated up with fire.   
  
" **Pochi** has said what he wants," Touko answered firmly. "So unless you want to deal with three angry trainers and their equally angry Pokemon, I suggest you give us his ball." Rigo hesitated and Touko's smile sharpened. Clearly reluctant, Rigo dropped the ball into Touko's outstretched palm. She immediately recalled Pochi. "Thank you. Now if you could..."   
  
"Smoke Ball!" There was a shattering of glass and thick smoke filled the cave. Touko kept her grip firm on the Pokeball, but thankfully the grunts just fled through the cave entrance. By the time the other three got out, they were long gone.   
  
"And you thought what I did was impressive," Jay commented, waving smoke out of his face and shooting Touko a grin. "Nice job." Touko smiled cheerfully in response as Cheren staggered out, wiping his glasses.   
  
"Well, now I just feel foolish for wasting Potions," the boy grumbled. "Do you want me to take Pochi back? I still need to pick up a Panpour from the Pokemon Center."   
  
"...Nah, you can get back to the center, Cher. There are a few things I want to discuss with Emi," Touko decided, staring down at the little red and white ball in her hand.

* * *

"So, Pochi doesn't like my dresses?" Emi asked, clinging to the little Lillipup who kept trying to lick her face. Touko gently shook her head. "But he looks so pretty in them!"  
  
"I know, sweetie," Touko soothed. "But clothes aren't comfortable for most Pokemon. He has all his fur, he doesn't need anything else." Emi pouted, and the brunette switched to a different tack. "You know those clothes your parents make you put on for fancy occasions? The ones that are a bit too tight and itch a lot?"  
  
"Yeah?" Emi nodded cautiously.   
  
"Well, all clothes are like that for Pochi. He can't really run around in those dresses all that well, and that's what a Lillipup likes to do."   
  
Emi chewed her lip. "So I can't have tea parties with Pochi anymore?"   
  
"Emi, of course you can have tea parties with Pochi. Just, maybe with a looser dress code?" The little girl stared at her in confusion, and Touko bit back a sigh. Behind her, she could hear Jay snickering. "Um, I mean, less clothes?"  
  
"Ok! Come on, Pochi! Let's go home! We can have a naked tea party!" Jay's snickers turned into full-on laughter as Touko gaped at the little girl who threw an arm awkwardly around her. "Thanks for saving Pochi!"   
  
"I...I..." By the time Touko managed to form a reply, Emi and Pochi were long gone. Blushing furiously, she turned to glare at Jay, who was now wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. "You couldn't have jumped in? You talked to kids back in Kanto, didn't you?"  
  
"Yeah, but inspiring future nudists weren't on the topic list," he laughed. "Oh Arceus, my sides. Naked tea parties."   
  
"That wasn't what I meant," Touko muttered burying her burning face in her hands. "And I didn't turn her into a nudist."   
  
Still snickering, Jay lifted his hands in surrender. "Alright. Alright. So should we head to Nacrene or will you be inspiring future generations on the evils of clothes some more?" Grumbling under her breath, Touko stalked down Route 3, making sure to stomp on Jay's foot as she passed. But she'd barely gone more than a few feet before she stopped, staring at the odd sight in the middle of the road. A Blitzle was standing there, a Roggenrola on its back with a familiar rhinestone tiara on its head.   
  
"Oh, that's Pochi's tiara. Did you two come to return it?" The Blitzle bobbed its head in a nod and stepped closer so the Roggenrola could offer the headpiece. Touko awkwardly took it. "Thank you, but I don't think they'll be needing it."  
  
"I'll say," Jay agreed, earning another glare from Touko as she shoved the crown into his hands. The Blitzle then dropped its head to nudge at the Pokeballs on Touko's hip.   
  
"...You want to come along with me?" A nod. "Both of you, I assume?" Another nod. Touko thought for a few seconds, and then reached into her bag to pull two new Pokeballs out. "Alright, I need catches from here and Wellspring Cave anyways. You can be Shun," she tapped the Blitzle on its nose, "and you can be Kei." Two quick captures later and Touko beamed at Jay. "So, Nacrene?"  
  
"Hopefully no more delays this time." Rolling her eyes, Touko started walking once more. They had some distance to go before they reached the 'Pearl of Unova'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This portion of the game was a breeze to play through, but I thought it offered some interesting story developments. Like giving Rigo and Unari some names, which both come from the Japanese word for 'grunt', and Cheren's negative reaction to Touko taking the challenge. He doesn't like being lied to, and thought that was what Touko had done to him. I also hope I left enough clues for you to figure out one of Cheren's secrets.
> 
> As for the catches, this was the part of the game when my nature luck started to turn bad. Shun the Blitzle, which means 'fast', has a Modest nature, has good perseverance, and has Lightning Rod. Blitzle and Zebstrika are physical attackers, and they can only learn 2 special moves naturally, despite Electric being better as a special type. We'll see how he works out. Kei the Roggenrola, which means 'gemstone', has a Mild nature, is capable of taking hits, and has Sturdy. Mild, probably the worst nature for a Roggenrola. At least Sturdy helps mitigate it some, but I doubt I'll be using her longterm. Which is too bad because I really wanted to use a Gigalith.
> 
> Leave a like and a review if you liked the chapter, and I'll see you all next time!


	8. The Meeting

Blue liked to think of himself as a collected individual. There wasn't really too much that could phase him anymore, compared to when he was a kid and could go off at the drop of a hat. But after glancing over Touko's shoulder and seeing the natures of her new Pokemon, he couldn't resist the urge to drop his head onto the top of the PC with a loud **thud.** "You have got to be kidding me."  
  
Touko side-eyed him before swapping the two new Pokeballs for one hanging on her belt. "Seriously? They aren't that bad," she muttered as Goro's Pokeball vanished into the PC.   
  
"Your Blitzle has a Modest nature when it's a physical attacker and your Roggenrola is _Mild_ ," Blue countered. "That's pretty bad."   
  
The Unovan native turned on him and folded her arms across her chest. "One, most of the best electric type moves are special anyways so having a Modest nature doesn't make Shun useless. Besides, his only stab move right now is Shock Wave so it's actually helpful right now." Blue scoffed, but let her have the point. "Two, while Mild isn't an ideal nature for a Roggenrola, Sturdy more than makes up for it."   
  
"You're kidding right? Sturdy is way too situational to be helpful," Blue immediately interrupted. Now Touko's frown turned baffled.   
  
"Really? Sturdy is incredibly useful. What are you talking about?" Instead of responding, Blue reached into his pocket for his old Pokedex and pulled up the info on Geodude. Touko scanned it and blinked a few times. "Ok, this seems like a language barrier thing here because that is **_not_** how Sturdy works here."   
  
"Then what does it do?" the Kanto gym leader asked, annoyance fading to curiosity.   
  
"You know Focus Sashes? Sturdy is essentially that as an ability. And it resets if the Pokemon is healed back to full health," Touko explained. The look on his face must have been something because the girl started laughing. "Yeah, Kei's a lot more of a tank than you'd think as long as I keep her health up. But you also didn't let me finish. The third and most important point is that I'm not a battler so less than ideal natures aren't that big of a deal to me."   
  
"Huh. Wonder why this isn't as well known..." Blue muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Rolling her eyes, Touko gave him a light shake.   
  
"You're on vacation, remember? Save this for when you're back at work doing another of those papers," she ordered before her phone started ringing. Thankfully, she turned away before she could see Blue's instinctive wince. "Oh it's my mom. Can I have a minute?"  
  
"Take your time," Blue waved her off, earning a grin before the girl pressed her phone to her ear and stepped away to talk. As he watched her happily chat with her mom about her catches and what had happened over the past two days, his face fell. On his own journey, there really wasn't anyone to talk to. His grandfather hadn't bothered to answer his calls, Red's mom was more interested in her own son (which was fair, but had hurt like hell at the time), and Daisy had cut him off over half the time to chat with some school friends or the guy she'd been dating at the time. Even before that, it wasn't like the Oak family had ever been close. Not like Touko and her mom, if the phone call was anything to go by.   
  
_Probably why she's so focused on finding her brother_ , he thought as he took a seat on a nearby couch to wait. A tendril of envy was sprouting hin his gut, and Blue didn't hesitate to squash it flat. It wasn't Touko's fault that she had the family situation that he'd dreamed of as a kid. Instead of a mom who had dinner waiting when he got home and a dad who would play with him after work, Blue had a sister who spent half her time ignoring a little brother five years younger than her and the other half acting more like a mom than an older sister. And his grandfather had barely been around at all. Even when he was at home, his mind was on his newest research or something related to Pokemon.   
  
That had been why Blue had started doing research papers to begin with. After he'd proven himself a failure as a Champion, and being eighth gym leader had failed to impress the professor, the research had been another way for Blue to try and connect with his grandfather. He'd spent hours watching and documenting various wild Pokemon all over Kanto and sending his grandfather the findings, even venturing to places like the Sevii Islands or Johto on occasion. But after sending in the reports, he was usually sent replies detailing how 'Red had already concluded this' or 'Red had captured several Pokemon from this location for the newest study'. Sometimes, he was sent nothing at all in reply, and sadly, those were usually the best times.  
  
The sound of the Pokemon Center door sliding open jerked Blue out of his musings as Cheren came striding in with a slightly wild look on his face. Since Touko was still talking, Blue quickly waved him over. "She's on the phone with her mom if you want to talk to her," he explained as Cheren hurried over.  
  
"I don't think I can stay long," the black-haired boy admitted. "I want to get some more training in before the sun sets. But I heard something when I was coming into town that I think she should hear."   
  
"What did you hear, Cheren?" Touko's voice caused both of them to jump, making her laugh. "Sorry. Oh, and Mom says hi to both of you."   
  
Blue frowned. "But I never met your mother."   
  
"So? That doesn't mean she can't say hi," Touko countered. Blue had no response to that as the girl turned back to Cheren. "So, spill it, Cheren."   
  
"I heard some people say that a boy with a baseball cap was seen entering the Nacrene Museum earlier today," Cheren explained. "I highly doubt that it's Touya since he already has Aloe's badge. But the guy who attacked you in Accumula was wearing a baseball cap too."  
  
"Attacked us, Cher," Touko quietly corrected, rubbing at her wrists. Thanks to quick treatment, they had skipped the dark purple color of most bruises, but the sickly yellow/green mix had yet to fade. "But why would he be here of all places? I don't think he's a gym trainer."   
  
Cheren gave a baffled shrug. "Maybe he likes museums, I don't know. But I wanted to warn you before you went the museum in case he wants to try anything again."   
  
The statement made Blue perk up. "We're going to the museum?"   
  
Touko shrugged. "You haven't really had the chance to do any touristy things since you've arrived in Unova so I thought it was an option. And," she hesitated. "And I wanted to talk to Aloe if I got the chance. See if she can tell me anything about Touya. But it's your vacation after all. Your call."   
  
Blue hadn't been to a museum since before he set out on his journey. The Pewter City Museum had been skipped since he'd seen it before and so he could grab Brock's badge and move on as quickly as possible. But he remembered liking it before... After thinking for a minute, he nodded. "Sounds fun to me." Touko smiled, looking pleased with herself.  
  
"Touko," Cheren said as he laid a hand on her shoulder. "Aloe apparently isn't speaking to anyone unless they're a direct challenger. If you want your information, you might have to fight her." The smile faded as the girl bit her lower lip. Cheren dropped his arm to pull some familiar beige and purple berries out of his bag. "She uses Normal types and her ace has Hypnosis so Chesto Berries should be useful."   
  
"Cheren, thank you." The childhood friends shared a quick hug before Touko placed the berries in her own bag. "But I want to try a non-battle based meeting first." She turned back to Blue with a weak smile. "You want to grab dinner before we head there? The museum doesn't close until midnight."

* * *

"I'm beginning to think that helping Pochi cursed your nature luck," Blue commented as the two made their way towards Nacrene Museum. He ignored her angry glare as he added, "This is your second Mild nature on a physical attacker, unless you tell me that Timburr is a special based Fighting type."   
  
"You put too much focus on Pokemon natures," Touko muttered. "An ideal nature doesn't make for an ideal Pokemon."   
  
"Hey, you know what my job is. Looking at natures gives you a better idea on how best to utilize a Pokemon in battle," the Kanto gym leader pointed out. Touko just rolled her eyes.   
  
"Look, Takeshi would make an excellent addition to any team regardless of his nature. Slightly lowered defense doesn't mean..." she trailed off as a familiar young man stepped out of the museum, baseball cap musing his long green hair. He looked up at the sound of her voice and gave a slightly feral grin.   
  
"Oh, it's you!" he exclaimed in delight as he took a step forward. But two flashes of red light made him pause as Koki and Hiroshi let themselves out of their balls to stand protectively in front of Touko. The Dewott sliced his scalchops through the air and the Herder dropped his head in a crouch to growl. "Ah, they've grown so strong!"   
  
"I don't know how you made it here without running into the police," Touko snarled, "but you stay away from me and my friends." N tilted his head in confusion as he appeared to ignore Touko to focus on Blue.   
  
"I see the bespectacled one lost. Good, his failing eyesight would have been terrible for future children." This completely out of the blue statement made Touko pause and Blue drop his jaw in bafflement.   
  
"Wait, are you implying that I fought Cheren in some...courtship ritual?" Blue asked. N nodded. "Why in the world would I do that?"   
  
"For future children," N replied absently, still staring at Blue. "When one wishes to produce offspring, one generally considers the healthiest of the available potential mates. He was also physically weak as well, my punch incapacitated him far more than yours did me," he added.   
  
"There is so much wrong with what you're saying that I don't know where to start," Blue heard Touko mutter to herself. Then she stated more firmly, "If this is some sort of flirting thing, I want to say I am completely uninterested in both relationships at this time and in you for _all_ time."   
  
But the green-haired man didn't seem to hear her at all. "If I defeat you, she will have no choice but to come with me!" Letting out a high pitched whistle, a Pidove dove down from above with talons extended. Instinctively, Blue flung his arm over his face so the scratches raked across his forearm instead of his eyes.   
  
"Shun, take it out!" There was a blast of electricity and the Pidove fell to earth, a victim of the Blitzle's Shock Wave. N let out another whistle and this time a Tympole poked its head out of the underbrush to fire off a Bubble Beam in Touko and Blue's direction. "Again." A second Shock Wave easily defeated the Water type as the other trainer let out a third and final whistle. Letting out a high pitched battle cry, a Timburr charged forward with his log swinging back and forth. Hiroshi lunged forward to hold the log in place as Yume was released to drop the Fighting type with a well placed Psybeam. "Jay, are you alright?"  
  
"It's fine, I've had worse," Blue quickly replied, pressing a hand to the bleeding cuts on his arm. He kept his eyes on N, but the man made no more moves to attack or summon more Pokemon. Instead, N's gaze moved from the three unconscious Pokemon and back to Touko, who had begun digging through her bag for some bandages.  
  
"You _are_ the one!" he whispered in delight. Touko paused in her rummaging to look up in horror. "I never expected to find you so quickly, but here you are!"   
  
"Whatever scenario you've built up in your head, you can take it and shove it," the Unovan girl snarled hotly. "I'm not interested." Finally finding the wraps, she stepped forward to start binding Blue's injury. "This should do until we can get to a professional."   
  
N didn't appear to have heard her at all, still absorbed in his musings. "Now that I've found you, we can begin the proceedings. I will find you when we are ready!" The air around him began to shimmer and he vanished once more.   
  
"What the hell was all that?" Blue muttered as Touko finished her wrapping. "We need to talk to the cops again."   
  
"We also have another reason to talk to Aloe," Touko added. "Maybe she'll have a better idea about what's going on."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So my terrible nature luck continues with a Mild Timburr. It's not an Attack reducing nature, thankfully, but it's my third that improves Special Attack on a physical attacker. Takeshi, which means ‘military, martial’ or ‘strong, healthy’, also is somewhat vain and has Sheer Force for his ability. We also finally get to meet N again, and I get to expand on his character a bit. N is a bit less capable of separating people and Pokemon in this incarnation. Trainers are more like the leaders or the 'alphas' of a pack of Pokemon. Trainer battles are more like fights for dominance, and N's attacks on Cheren and now Blue are his way of proving himself a viable mate for her. Which obviously wouldn't work on humans and comes across as more creepy. But this may cause more problems for him down the line, which we'll see later.
> 
> The Aloe battle, or Lenora for those who don't know her Japanese name, will be up next time so leave a like and a review if you enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you all next time!


	9. The Robbery

Touko stared up at the museum, nervously chewing her lower lip. A gentle hand on her shoulder made her jolt before turning to a concerned looking Jay. "You know you don't have to do this right now. You can wait, or have Cheren do it."  
  
Shoving down the part of her that wanted nothing more than to listen to Jay and turn away, Touko shook her head. "No, Cheren will be training to handle Aloe and that could take days. If she and the other gym leaders don't know about N yet, we need to warn her now. Something's..." she hesitated, searching for the right words. "Something is off with him, and I think they need to know. Besides, I do want to talk to her about Touya." She dropped a hand to rub at Takeshi's pokeball on her belt, currently replacing Yume's. It rattled encouragingly against her palm, bringing a small smile to her lips. "Let's go."   
  
As the pair entered the museum, Touko snickered at Jay's gasp behind her. "Is that a fully fossilized Dragonite skeleton?" The Kanto native strode forward to examine the large fossil welcoming visitors to the museum. "They aren't native to Unova, so why is one here?"   
  
"We actually discovered this fossil two years ago," a familiar man with a museum ID pinned to his shirt answered as he came out from behind the front desk. "The skeleton was found wrapped around the remains of what looked to be a human woman and a baby, as though trying to protect them. At the very least, it potentially proves that Unova was potentially visited by other regions earlier than we initially theorized." He offered a hand to Jay. "Kidachi Ogawa, one of the main curators of the Nacrene Museum."   
  
Jay shook the outstretched hand, but was clearly floundering with what to say. Sighing, Touko stepped in to handle it. "Hey Dr. Ogawa. Jay's from Kanto so I'm guiding him to all of Unova's hotspots."   
  
The curator's eyes lit up at the sight of the brunette girl. "Touko, lovely to see you again. I haven't seen you since Professor Araragi's collab with Aloe last year." Something appeared to occur to him and he snapped his fingers. "Oh, I had forgotten that you've started your Pokemon journey. Are you here to challenge my wife for the badge?"   
  
"Not exactly," Touko admitted. "But I do need to talk to her, if it's possible. It's important."   
  
Ogawa sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Unfortunately, the only way you'll be able to see Aloe is if you're challenging her. She's been peer-reviewing papers recently and refuses to leave her office unless I drag her." Touko winced, a sight that didn't go unnoticed by the man. "I'm sorry, but my wife can be stubborn at times. If it's really that important to you..."   
  
Touko chewed her lip once more before nodding. "It is. I guess I'll have to handle it then. The battlefield is still in the back, right?" Ogawa nodded. "Then I guess that's where I'm heading." She glanced over at Jay. "If you want to explore the museum while I do this, you can."   
  
Jay immediately shook his head. "No, I'm going with you. You don't have to face this alone." Touko smiled in gratitude, feeling a little bit relieved to have him there.   
  
A small group of tourists appeared at the entrance, making the curator hesitantly step away. "Good luck with Aloe, Touko," he said before turning to help the newcomers. Exchanging glances, Touko reluctantly led the way through museum exhibits and displays until they reached a closed metal door. A sign on the right wall stated _Gym Challengers Only. No entry without a valid trainer card._ Hissing out a breath, the brunette shoved the door open.   
  
Sitting at a large desk covered in papers at the far end of the room was a tall woman with skin the color of melted coffee, dark teal hair, and an exhausted expression. She didn't bother glancing up from the computer she was furiously typing at. "Unless you're my husband, you better have a good reason for being here," Aloe stated. "I've got ten more of these papers to get through and they average at 7463 words so I have a lot of reading and fact checking to do."   
  
Touko glanced at Jay, who gave her an encouraging nod before stepping over to some benches nearby. "Gym Leader Aloe, I need to talk to you."   
  
The typing paused for a few seconds as Aloe peered at Touko over red-rimmed glasses. "Touko, is that you? Are you here to challenge me?"   
  
"If that's what it takes to talk to you, then yes."   
  
Aloe glanced longingly at the reports on her desk before sighing and shoving her chair back. "Alright. You have until the end of the battle to talk to me, and then I get back to work."   
  
"The battle?" Touko gasped. "But, if I do that..."   
  
"If you can't multitask in a battle honey, then you don't deserve that badge." Aloe flung a Pokeball out and a large Herdier landed on the field, head down in an intimidating stance. "So, choose your first Pokemon and start talking."   
  
Swallowing hard, Touko sent out Takeshi, eagerly bouncing his log on one shoulder. "Low Kick, Takeshi," she ordered as Aloe commanded a Leer. As the kick landed, the girl tried to balance battling with her discussion. "Have you seen a guy come in earlier today? Long green hair, ballcap, and I'm pretty sure he's a trainer."   
  
"I've been locked in my office for the past two weeks so unless he came for a badge, I saw nothing. Take Down," she added as Takeshi went flying with a squeal. "Why?"   
  
"He attacked us outside the museum," Jay called from the side, drawing Aloe's attention. He held up his bandaged arm as evidence. "It's not the first time either, he went after Touko and Cheren in Accumula too."   
  
"Wake-Up Slap," Touko called out, sighing in relief as the Herdier went down. Takeshi was too injured to keep fighting, so she recalled him quickly. "The weird thing is I didn't see any Pokeballs on him. And the Pokemon he commanded to attack just came out of nowhere."   
  
Aloe recalled her unconscious dog as she pondered. "I'll alert the other gym leaders to keep an eye out, but unless he seeks us out I wouldn't say he's taking the challenge. Might be better for you to talk to the police. Is that all?" she asked as her ace, a furious looking Watchog, entered the field.   
  
Mentally flipping through her options, Touko sent out Kei. The Roggenrola looked pretty eager to fight, though that was hard to tell on a Pokemon with no face. "I also wanted to ask you about Touya, and Rock Smash!"   
  
"Hypnosis...and it misses," Aloe sighed, pressing a hand to her face. "Why do I keep that move around? Go for a Crunch instead! And I haven't seen him since he left for Castelia. You know we would have told you otherwise, Touko." She winced as her Watchog fell back, bleeding badly from the nose. "Alright, time for a heal then."  
  
"I know, but that's not why I'm asking," Touko explained as she recalled Kei to release Koki instead. "Was he acting strangely, or say anything that you thought was odd?"   
  
"Nope. Second battle he was pretty focused." Touko blinked in surprise.   
  
"Wait, did you say second? He fought you more than once?" she asked. Koki let out a whine as Watchog's teeth sank into his shoulder, pulling Touko's attention back to the battle. "Rock Smash, now!"   
  
"Can't say what he was expecting, considering he waltzed in with only three Pokemon and his starter unevolved," Aloe sighed as her ace Pokemon fell to the floor, unconscious. "But he did better the next time, swept me with that Pignite of his. Guess he never told you."   
  
"No," Touko whispered, staring at her shoes. "He never mentioned it." Koki whined again as he nuzzled her leg, jerking the girl out of her thoughts. "Sorry, boy. You did a great job out there," she praised him, dropping down to rub his ears.   
  
"Guess that makes you the better battler in this regard," Aloe commented, walking back to her desk to pull out a small badge. "You earned this. Now, your time is up and I can get back to..." Suddenly, bright red lights on the ceiling started blaring and spinning. The woman's face went pale as Jay joined Touko and the girl recalled her Herdier to his ball. "Who the hell is attacking my museum?" Instantly, the gym leader rushed out the door.   
  
"Hey." Touko blinked and looked up at her traveling companion, who was watching her with worry in his eyes. "You alright?"   
  
"Honestly, I have no idea," she admitted. "Touya made it sound like he beat Aloe first try and really easily. I..." she shrugged helplessly. "I just don't get why he would lie to us."   
  
Jay was quiet for a few seconds, and Touko let him organize his thoughts before he slowly stated, "Maybe he was afraid of disappointing you guys."   
  
Touko opened her mouth to respond, and then closed it again. "...Maybe."   
  
"Hey you two!" The pair jumped as a furious Aloe came striding back in, a nervous Ogawa following her. "Do either of you know anything about a Team Plasma?"   
  
Touko frowned and Jay scowled. "We've dealt with a few of them before, but why would they attack here? There aren't any live exhibits," the Kanto native pointed out.   
  
"I don't know, but I'm getting my answers along with my Dragonite Skull!" Aloe snarled, jerking open a drawer on her desk to pull out a belt of six Pokeballs. She strapped it to her belt and jerked her head at the door. "And you two are going to help me." 

* * *

"No comment about how we could have said no to that?" Touko asked as the pair made their way through the shadowed parts of Pinwheel Forest.  
  
"After seeing how she shut down Cheren with a look, I thought better of it," Jay admitted, making Touko laugh. "And I thought Agatha was scary."   
  
"I think that gym leaders and Elite Four members are people you should avoid making angry in general, regardless of their usual tempers," Touko commented. Koki, who had been tracking the scent of the skeleton, let out an eager bark and pointed deeper in the brush. "Thanks boy. You can take a rest now." As she recalled the Herdier, she noticed the examining look that Jay was giving her. "What?"   
  
"Just thinking about how different you were with Aloe compared to your battle with Dent. You looked less nervous." Touko gave an awkward shrug. "Is that your main problem with battling? You overthink things?"   
  
Sighing, the girl nodded. "Helpful with science, pretty bad in battles. I have some pretty big perfectionist tendencies and I know that Pokemon battles in general are rarely perfect."   
  
"Depends on the levels." Jay grinned at the peeved look she sent him. "Look, all I'm saying is that with strong enough Pokemon, OHKOs with no damage taken become a lot more common."   
  
"Well, I don't have a team of 60s at my beck and call so I have to deal with damage and panic," Touko snarked back, rubbing her arm with one hand. She stepped into the brush that Koki indicated, practically feeling Jay's smug grin burning into her back. "Don't give me that look. I bet you were just as nervous as I was when you started out."  
  
"...Not really." The shift in tone had Touko pausing to glance over her shoulder. The sad look on Jay's face shocked her. "I was ten and believed I was going to be the champion. I was invincible, nothing and no one could stop me."   
  
"You did it though," the Unovan native pointed out. "You became Champion at what, ten? Eleven? That's a huge achievement for anyone, especially at that age."   
  
"Yeah, for fifteen minutes." Touko winced at the clear anger and misery in his voice, and Jay shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it. Let's just find that skull."  
  
"...Alright." Putting the discussion aside for now, Touko briefly searched for another topic. "You know, the Cottonee I caught has a Careful nature."   
  
"Is this the part where you tell me that Cottonee is a physical grass type?" Jay asked hopefully. Touko shook her head and he groaned. "I swear, your nature luck is going to kill me. If you don't get a decent nature on your next catch, I'll go out and find you a new one."   
  
Filled with both relief and annoyance, the pair bickered their way through the trees until a flash of silver in the moonlight caught Touko's eye. She pointed up into the trees, and Jay nodded as she released her team. "Hey, we can see you there," Jay called out, making the figure up squawk and drop the large object they were holding. Thankfully, Hiroshi was able to catch it.   
  
"That's the skull, alright," Touko stated after a brief examination. "Nice catch, Hiro." The Dewott gave a little cheer.   
  
"Hey, return that skull to Team Plasma!" the grunt yelled as he attempted to scramble down the branch. "No one should be allowed to desecrate the body of a Pokemon for public entertainment. How would you feel if your bodies were put on display after your death?"  
  
Touko and Jay looked at each other and shrugged. "Honestly, I'd be pretty proud if people thought my bones were worthy of permanent display for scientific purposes," Touko admitted.   
  
"Same here," Jay agreed. "I mean, I'm already dead. What does it matter what they do with my bones? I doubt the Dragonite cares considering it's over 1000 years dead." As the grunt sputtered for a few seconds, a cheerful melody began echoing throughout the area. Jay and Touko glanced around and her Pokemon fell into battle stances as the grunt paused his climbing to pull out his phone.  
  
"Yes? Uh huh. Uh huh. Yes sir. I'll be there soon." Putting away his phone, he reached the ground and rushed off. "Team Plasma will have their day!"  
  
"...Should we go after him?" Touko asked reluctantly. Jay shook his head.  
  
"He's not worth it. Let's just bring this skull back and get some sleep. I'm exhausted." Taking the skull from Hiroshi, he started off through the woods with Touko following as soon as she recalled her Pokemon. "So, Castelia after this?"   
  
Touko hummed a moment before shaking her head. "Nope." Jay turned to eye her curiously. "Look, these past couple of days have been mostly about helping me, and I'm grateful for it. But I haven't forgotten that it's your vacation and you have no idea how to take a proper one." The Kanto native scoffed, but Touko ignored it. "So tomorrow, I'll be showing you what a real Unovan tourist should be doing."   
  
"You really don't have to do that," Jay protested.  
  
"I know. But I'm gonna do it anyways." Smirking at his slightly scared look, Touko skipped on ahead. "So you better get some rest Jay. Because tomorrow, I'll show you how a real vacation works.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the Lenora battle is done and thankfully wasn't as deadly as it could have been. I boxed Yume for this fight since both Pokemon knew a Dark move and Takeshi was better for Normal types. But Yume is back on the team now. And yes, I caught a Careful Cottonee in Pinwheel Forest. My nature luck has not improved. Her name is Ayame, which means 'iris', she has Infiltrator, is somewhat vain, and I will not be using her. Partially because of the next two gyms being terrible for Grass types and partially because of that nature.
> 
> Aloe Battle is below for those who are interested, and next time will be some exploring of Castelia. Leave a like and a review if you enjoyed this and I'll see you all next time!
> 
> -Everyone is level 20 and Takeshi is up front.  
>  \- Vs. Herdier, female, and level 18. Intimidate attack drop, which isn’t great. Leer and Low Kick. Take Down to 12 HP and Wake Up Slap KO. Whew, glad I grinded.  
>  -Vs. Watchog, female, and level 20. Kei is in. Hypnosis miss and Rock Smash crit. Crunch and Rock Smash to 1 HP with Defense Drop. Super Potion and Mud Slap for the accuracy drop. Leer and Rock Smash. Potion on Kei and Crunch. Swap in Koki and Crunch. Retaliate dodge and Rock Smash KO! Win!


	10. The Conversation

When Touko had told him to get some rest, she hadn't been kidding. Because for the next week, Blue had been put through more vacation activities than had believed existed in Unova. He had a feeling that this is probably what Agatha had been talking about when she'd told him to take a break.  
  
After returning the Dragonite skull to the museum and getting free passes for life from a very grateful Aloe and her husband, Blue had passed out for about six hours before being awoken by Touko for the first day of their trip. Despite his earlier plan to spend about half an hour in the museum before moving on, they'd left the museum about nine hours later after going through every exhibit and falling into discussions about their ramifications on the history of Unova. Half of it had been just general theorizing, but Blue had to admit that arguing semantics with Touko had been really fun.  
  
Instead of returning to the Pokemon Center as Blue had expected, Touko had insisted on heading across the Skyarrow Bridge over the large bay into Castelia. The trip had taken over two hours of steady walking and Blue honestly couldn't feel his feet when they reached the other side, a fact the Unovan girl hadn't hesitated to tease him about. At least she allowed him a fifteen minute rest before taking him to a large hotel they would be spending the week at instead of the mostly free rooms at the Pokemon Center. "You're on vacation, Jay," Touko had scolded as she paid for their room. "If you don't indulge yourself now, when would you?"  
  
The definition of 'indulge' appeared to vary greatly between the pair as for the next few days, Blue was woken up around six or seven in the morning by an eager Touko who had planned their entire day out. No amount of whining, begging, or sulking (according to Touko at least because Blue wouldn't describe it as sulking at all) would change her mind. The first day in Castelia was dedicated to a walking tour of the city, something Blue's legs had protested greatly. But he had to admit the tour had been enjoyable, as it also included stopping at various famous restaurants and sampling their tasting menus.  
  
Day two saw them spending their morning on Liberty Island, home to the primary immigration station for families wanting to move from their home regions of Galar, Kalos, and even Kanto and Johto, to Unova. Touko had teased him about his eagerness in searching for the supposed room of Victini, the Pokemon of Victory said to welcome newcomers to the region that it found worthy, something that made the Kanto gym leader blush while she laughed. After lunch, she'd taken him to some of the local art galleries to ooh and aah over the various paintings and sculptures.  
  
The third day was focused more heavily on the scientific side, as the pair met up with Professor Araragi in one of the local labs to watch some experiments and offer their own opinions. Many of them had recognized Blue from his papers, a fact which both flustered and pleased him, and they had peppered him with questions and opinions. The day had ended with the pair walking away with two newly created Eviolites, an item that Blue wished he had back when he started training for Harry. Finding someone willing to trade with him to evolve the Kadabra had been a challenge.  
  
Day four, and Blue swore up and down that his legs were about to fall off the entire time, was dedicated solely to shopping. Specifically, window shopping through some of the most expensive stores he'd ever seen, and watching Touko laugh at his reactions to the prices. Thankfully, any actual purchasing was done from various street vendors selling knock-offs versions of purses and shoes. "This way, you can honestly tell someone back home that you bought this in Castelia City," Touko explained as she held up a dark brown belt. "They'll probably assume it's a brand product and you can laugh because you only paid twenty bucks for it."  
  
"Thirty!" the street hawker corrected and Blue just shook his head in bemused amazement as Touko eagerly fell into haggling for a belt he honestly wasn't sure he wanted. But he ended up walking away with it for only twenty-two dollars, a fact the Unovan girl appeared very smug about. But not as smug as either of them later that night where they completely crushed their opposition at a local pub's trivia night. Earned them a free dinner as well.  
  
Thankfully for Blue's feet, day five was the day that Bel and Cheren made it into the city. The four of them spent their day by the hotel pool, losing horribly at hotel bingo in order to balance their trivia victory, and having a movie marathon ranging from the newest action to old classics in their room. It was where Blue learned that Hiroshi was **adamant** about no talking while a movie was going as anyone who tried would end up pelted with the nearest pillow.  
  
Touko's idea of vacation had left Blue sore in a lot of ways. He fell into bed every night exhausted from moving around with his feet throbbing in agony. His stomach was uncomfortably bloated from too much food, and his face sore from smiling so much. Maybe it wasn't a typical vacation for the Kanto native, but he found himself laughing a lot more than he did at home. More than he could remember honestly. Touko might not be the best at battling, but she was far better than him at playing tourist.  
  
Which was why today's final event was a bit more of a surprise. Blue awkwardly shuffled his feet as the line they'd been in for more than an hour inched forward. "Touko, are you serious about this?"  
  
"Jay, you told me that ice cream isn't a thing in Kanto or Johto and that you've never had it," the brunette turned to poke him in the chest. "This is a travesty that must be corrected as soon as possible."  
  
"On the way here, we passed three other places that sold ice cream," Blue protested. "Why couldn't we stop at one of them? Or maybe head back to the hotel room and order something from room service?"  
  
Touko rolled her eyes. "You can get any of those brands from most convenience stores in Unova, or in any other city. Casteliacones are the best in the world, and you're not leaving until you've tried one."  
  
"Preach sister!" Someone from farther back in the line shouted and Touko laughed as the pair shared an air high-five. Blue sighed as the two finally made it inside the small parlor, only to blink in shock at the enormous plaque on the wall declaring this to be the best ice cream in the world.  
  
"Oh. You weren't kidding."  
  
"About ice cream? Never," Touko boasted as she briefly scanned through the flavors offered. "Hmm, we don't want to start you off with too much for your first time. I'm thinking a Neapolitan would be the best option. That'll give you the three basic flavors to try. Cup with a cone on top for the best of both worlds."  
  
"And I'm not allowed to have an opinion?" Touko turned to eye Blue with a smug expression that had become rather common over the past week.  
  
"You trust me, right?" With a sinking feeling, Blue nodded reluctantly. "Then don't stop now." She turned and smiled at the girl behind the counter. "Hi, two large Neapolitans in bowls, waffle cones on top, and six Pokemon vanilla bowls please." She dropped her hand to her wallet, but Blue already had his own out and ready. "Jay..."  
  
"You've paid for basically everything this week," Blue protested, checking the total and pulling out some bills. "At least let me pay for this!"  
  
"This is your vacation, and your first taste of ice cream," Touko countered. "I'm treating you, and that's..."  
  
"Wait wait wait," the girl behind the counter paused in the middle of bagging up the ice cream for the Pokemon. "Are you saying you've _never_ had ice cream before? _Never?!"_ Blue awkwardly shrugged.  
  
"It's not something that really exists in Kanto," he explained, only for the total on the cash register to drop heavily. "What are you..."  
  
"First time discount. Never thought I'd actually have to use it, but what can you do?" the girl shrugged. Touko quickly handed over the cash and took two fancy bowls wearing cone hats and the bag holding the other ice creams. "Enjoy your day and your ice cream!"  
  
"Thank you!" Touko called back as she quickly ushered Blue out the door. "There are some benches over there we can eat at. Hold these, I'll let out the team." Still a little miffed at how he'd been outmaneuvered, Blue reluctantly pocketed his wallet and took the ice cream as Touko released everyone. There was some shuffling so that everyone got a bowl (and so that Koki didn't steal more than his share), but soon they were all sitting on or around the bench to enjoy the frozen treat. Touko laughed at the look of bliss that appeared on Blue's face at his first taste. "Well?"  
  
"Do you always have to be right?" the gym leader muttered.  
  
"Not always, but it does happen a lot more with you," the girl teased as she took a spoonful of her own treat. "Mmm! I haven't had this in years. Still as good as I remember."  
  
Blue thought for a few seconds as he swallowed, watching Koki try to inch his way towards Kei's bowl and receive a smack on the nose from Akane for it. "So, you've done all this before?"  
  
"Kinda," Touko admitted. "Not all in one week, but I have done most of it. Lots of people from Unova do. Castelia City is a place where you come up to spend the day shopping, or touring, or visiting the galleries. More of a daycation than anything else." She stared out at the people passing by. "What about you? Any vacations like this when you were a kid?"  
  
Blue shook his head. "Not unless it was for school or something. My parents died in a car crash when I was four and Gramps...was always busy." Touko glanced up from her bowl to look at him curiously. She didn't ask any questions, which somehow made it easier to go on. "There was always a new experiment he was running or a hypothesis he needed to test. When he wasn't focused on Pokemon, it was usually on Red or sometimes Daisy." He gave an awkward shrug. "I just...wasn't important enough to him. Never was. Not as a kid, not as gym leader, and not as Champion."  
  
"Jay..." There wasn't pity or sympathy in her eyes, but real honest empathy. "Is that why you're in Unova? Taking a break from an old man's stupidity?"  
  
"Kinda." Blue swirled his spoon in the melting ice cream, gazing down at the mixture of white, brown and pink. "He's pushing to remove me as a gym leader in favor of Red. I'm not allowed to work while they check for incompetence so Agatha," he swallowed, feeling tears building up in his throat. "She pushed me to come here and get away for a bit."  
  
Touko placed her half-full ice cream onto the ground for Koki to devour, turned, and grasped Blue's hand in hers. "Jay, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you have to deal with him both as a professor and as your grandfather. He's awful, he's an idiot and an asshole, and you deserve so much better."  
  
The statement pushed a surprised laugh from his gut. "He's Professor Oak, the most esteemed scientist in Kanto and one of the leading researchers on Pokemon in the world."  
  
"So? He can be all those things at once. Being a good scientist sadly doesn't mean he can't be an awful person." Her eyes narrowed as she eyed him carefully. "Let me guess. You think that if you did something different, if you were better than who you are, then he would love you?" Blue dropped his eyes and refused to meet her gaze. "You're wrong."  
  
"How are you supposed to know that?" Blue snarled back, anger overrunning the misery briefly. "You barely know me, it's been two weeks."  
  
Touko paused to weigh her thoughts and sigh. "Because I know how it is. What your grandfather is to you, my dad is to me." The anger vanished as quickly as it came, leaving the Kanto gym leader staring in shock. The girl nodded. "Yeah. He walked out on my mom when I was seven. Which was probably the worst timing on his part since that was also the day I got my first B in anything."  
  
"A...B?" She looked at the clear confusion in Blue's gaze before her eyes cleared.  
  
"Oh, a B is a term for a grade between an 80% and an 89%. Or just 84% and 86% if you really want to be technical. Just shorthand." Blue nodded slowly and Touko continued her story. "So I bring home a B and my dad leaves that night. The obvious conclusion at the time was that he left because I wasn't good enough so I had to be better or next time Mom would leave. Or Touya, but that fear tended to fade depending on how annoying he was that day."  
  
Sighing, she turned to stare out at the city again. Hiroshi, wiping ice cream from his face with a paw, climbed onto the bench to hug his trainer. She stroked his head as she continued her story. "So I dove into studying. The Bs vanished in favor of As, I worked on every extra credit assignment offered even though I probably didn't need it. I had no friends because friends were distracting and studying was more important. Mom didn't notice since she was working multiple jobs to pay for things now that it was just her and Touya was focused on becoming a trainer. So it was easy to convince myself they loved me only as long as I brought home the best grades. As long as I was perfect. And I thought, if I was good enough, then maybe he'd come back and love me again." Touko smiled and side-eyed Blue. "Sound familiar?"  
  
"Yeah," he whispered. "It does."  
  
Touko hummed. "So this went on until I was 11. Then I got an A-minus on a quiz and I handled it pretty badly. Managed to keep myself calm for most of the class, and then I raced off to the bathroom to cry in a corner." She smiled softly. "I cried for so long I missed the bell, and one of the hall monitors found me. They took me to the guidance counselor and I just...Broke down. They called my mom and I finally started getting the help I needed."  
  
"You weren't broken," Blue protested, but Touko shook her head.  
  
"Oh, I was. On the inside, I was really messed up. It took a few months to find a therapist that worked for me, it's not one-size-fits-all like you see on TV. Mr. Ito. Came to every session in an old concert tee and brightly colored slacks. I didn't open up to him immediately, but he didn't push me to start talking, or think all my problems came from being a repressed lesbian, so he was already better than some of the others." Blue choked and Touko laughed. "Yeah, that session ended really quickly. Anyways, it was our fifth session and that's when things changed."  
  
"Mr. Ito asked me if my mom was perfect. I said no. Then he asked me if Touya was perfect, and I said no again. Finally, he asked me if I loved them, and I said yes." She turned to look at Blue head-on. "And then he said, 'If you can love them without them being perfect, why do you have to be perfect for them to love you?' And that was the first step. I started taking therapy more seriously, got involved in group as well which helped a lot too. It's where I met Cheren and Bel and they're the best friends I have. Still have bad days, but more good compared to how it was before."  
  
Blue sat silently and bit his lip. "Why did you tell me this?" Touko gave a little shrug.  
  
"Well, you opened up to me, so I felt I should return the favor. And I think the same message applies. You shouldn't have to be perfect for your grandfather to love you. If there's a flaw, then it's in him Jay." She took his hand and Blue squeezed it back.  
  
"Can we just sit here a while?"  
  
"Sounds good." And the two sat there, just watching the sun shine down on all the busy people of Castelia. It was probably a good hour later when a text rang out from Touko's pocket. She skimmed the message and her face went pale. "We have to go. Bel's Pokemon has been kidnapped."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I did a lot of stuff in Castelia, but mostly gathering supplies and such. This chapter was one that I really was looking forward to writing for a long time, ever since I first decided that Blue would be traveling with Touko. The line that she quotes from Mr. Ito was probably one of my favorites to write.
> 
> Cheren and Bel's reasons for being in group therapy will be expanded upon later on, but next time should be handling Plasma and maybe Burgh if I'm lucky. Hope you all enjoyed this, and leave a like and a review if you did. See you all next time!


	11. Chapter 10: The Kidnapping

Bel's text had placed her at Prime Pier, so that's where the pair headed after tossing their trash out and recalling Touko's team. As much as her heart ached for Bel, Touko couldn't help but feel grateful for the distraction. Talking about her past, while it could be helpful, always left her feeling a bit raw afterwards. So it helped to have something to focus on to distract herself with.   
  
Like comforting a crying friend who was sitting on a bench with a girl maybe a few years younger than them with long purple hair attempting to soothe her. "Bel!" Touko called out as she skidded to a halt, stumbling forward a bit when Jay crashed into her from behind. The blonde looked up with tear-filled eyes before throwing herself into the brunette's arms. "Hey, hey. It's alright, we'll fix this," Touko crooned as she stroked Bel's back gently.   
  
"They took Hana," Bel whispered, burying her face in her friend's shoulder. "They took Hana and I just...I..."   
  
Touko turned when Jay laid a hand on her shoulder. "Why don't we sit down and you can tell us what happened?" the Kanto gym leader offered as he guided the pair back towards the bench. The purple-haired girl immediately scooted over to make room as the other girls took a seat beside her. Jay simply crouched down to get a better look at Bel's face. "Did you see the face of the person who took her?"   
  
"It's my fault!" Everyone turned to the other girl, who was staring at the ground with a guilty expression. "Team Plasma was here and they were trying to take Pokemon from tourists and Ms. Bel and I tried to stop them and then one of them grabbed me and...and...!" She blinked rapidly to keep the tears from falling. "And they said they'd hurt me unless Ms. Bel gave up a Pokemon and she did and then they ran off! I'm so sorry Ms. Bel!"   
  
Touko narrowed her eyes for a second before it clicked. "Wait, I know you. You're Shaga's apprentice. Iris, right?" Iris nodded and Touko reached out to take the girl's hand in hers. "Iris, you did nothing wrong. You tried to do a brave thing and got in over your head. It happens to the best of us."   
  
"Team Plasma again," Jay muttered staring out at the crowds still filling Castelia's streets. "Looks like they're getting to be a bigger problem than before."   
  
Touko nodded before turning back to her friend. "Bel, did you call the cops?" Bel nodded slowly. "Alright, then we'll wait until they get here. In a city this large, we're going to need all the help we can get." 

* * *

One hour and a long interview with the police later, Jay and Touko were finally free to explore Castelia once more. Bel had wanted to return to the hotel to wait for news about her Munna, and Iris volunteered to accompany her as a bodyguard of some sort. Most likely out of some misplaced sense of guilt, but Touko thought Iris might also be sporting a small crush on the blonde as well. Fighting back a giggle, she followed Jay through the streets and frowned when he turned towards Gym Street. "Why are we heading here?"  
  
"The cops aren't likely to let the local gym leader know what happened," Jay shot back, shoving his hands into his pockets as he strolled along. "I just wanted to give him a heads-up on the situation."   
  
Touko pondered for a few seconds before deciding to risk it, lengthening her stride to walking alongside the Kanto native rather than behind him. "Does that happen a lot back home?"   
  
"More often than I'd like," he muttered before shooting Touko a worried glance. "If you want to wait back with Bel at the hotel..."   
  
Touko waved off his concern. "No, I'd actually like to talk to Arty too. Castelia was the last place Touya was seen and Arty is the last person we know saw him. And hopefully we can find Cheren here too." She frowned and ran a hand through her ponytail. "I know he said he was going to go for the badge today, but I'm worried that he didn't show up when Bel texted. Maybe the gym has bad reception?"  
  
Jay shrugged. "I guess it's possible." He paused in front of the large glass doors that lead to the gym, scanning the ever-updating electronic list of victorious trainers who had earned the badge. "I see Touya's name, and there's Cheren's at the bottom. Guess he won."   
  
"Is there a timestamp?" When Jay shook his head, Touko sighed. "I guess that would have been too easy. Come on." The pair strode in, Touko flashing her trainer card at the receptionist who waved them on before returning to her Tetris game. Arty was leaning against a wall near his battlefield, drawing in a sketchpad. As Touko and Jay drew closer, he glanced up and set pen and paper aside.   
  
"Little late for a gym battle, but I still have a couple of hours."   
  
"Oh, we're not here for a gym battle," Touko quickly protested, not wanting to get drawn into another Lenora situation. "There are a few things we need to talk about."   
  
Arty snorted. "Is _that_ so?" A smug smirk appeared on his face and reached down to pick up his drawing supplies. "Well, then I'll just..."   
  
"A girl had her Pokemon stolen by Team Plasma less than two hours ago," Jay interrupted. Arty froze and then drew himself up to his full height, eyes narrowing. "Is that important enough for you?"   
  
"That's a very serious accusation, young man," the Castelia gym leader warned. "Do you have any evidence?"   
  
Sensing a potential brawl, Touko quickly stepped between the two men. "We have eyewitness testimonies from both an intern of Professor Araragi and Shaga's apprentice. Bel Shirai and Iris Hakuryu," she quickly added when Arty looked ready to protest. "They're staying at the Twin Dragon hotel if you want to confirm."  
  
Arty hissed out a breath and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Alright. Follow me." He strode out of the gym, leaving a confused Jay and a baffled Touko to follow. He lead them out of the gym and across the street to a smaller building with a sign for _**P. Incorperated**_ above the door. "You two are putting me in a real tight spot, you know," the artist hissed as he held the door for them.   
  
"Are you telling me that you're allowing _Team Plasma_ to set up a headquarters across the street from your gym?" Touko whispered back furiously. "This isn't the first time they kidnapped Pokemon you know!" This time, it was Jay who placed a hand on Touko's shoulder and squeezed it in warning.   
  
Arty shook his head. "Just stay quiet and let me do the talking alright?" The elevator dinged open and Arty's angry gaze instantly transformed to a friendlier one as a familiar man in a dark brown and blue robe stepped out. "Ghetsis, how delightful to see you again."   
  
"My word, if it isn't our local gym leader," the man purred. "To what do we owe this momentous occasion?"   
  
Arty gestured towards Jay and Touko, who were both eyeing the green-haired gentleman with unguarded suspicion. "These two trainers just informed me that apparently a Pokemon was stolen by Team Plasma today."   
  
"Ah yes. You just missed our local law enforcement questioning us about the same event," Ghetsis replied, folding his hands over the top of the silver cane he used. "They clearly found no evidence to support this girl's claim and left without a word. Probably another trainer wishing to retrieve an abused Pokemon."   
  
"Abused?!" Touko snarled, absolutely furious at the claim. Jay's hand tightened on her shoulder and Arty shot her a glare. Reluctantly, she closed her mouth and fumed.   
  
"Indeed," Ghetsis continued as if the interruption hadn't occurred. "Here at Plasma Incoperated, we dedicate ourselves to the protection and rehabilitation of Pokemon who have been abused by trainers. After all, there can be no criminal worse than one who abuses Pokemon, wouldn't you agree?"   
  
"Of course, of course," Arty soothed. "However, they also claim that Iris Hakuryu was threatened in order for Bel Shirai to hand over her Pokemon." Ghetsis's eyes narrowed, clearly annoyed. "So I don't suppose you could check, one more time? Just to be safe."   
  
"...If it will settle your mind, I suppose." He jerked his head and the receptionist behind the desk, also clad in a familiar set of armor, sprinted towards the elevator. "What was the Pokemon claimed to have been stolen?"   
  
"A Munna. Her name is Hana and one of her flowers is located in the center of her forehead," Touko answered when Arty tilted his head towards hers. The receptionist gave a jerky nod before diving into the open elevator and vanishing. The group stood in silence, staring each other down, until the door opened once more, the receptionist reappearing with a Pokeball in her hand and an angry Munna hovering behind her.   
  
"This Pokeball was dropped in the rescue bin five minutes ago, sir," the Plasma grunt said as she quickly exited the elevator. "No way to tell who brought her here."   
  
Ghetsis let out a resigned sigh. "So many people hoping to bring our good name under scrutiny." He waved a hand. "You may take her back to her trainer of course. Provided that you believe it will be safe for her."   
  
Arty gave a small bow in response as Hana picked up her Pokeball. "We are grateful for your cooperation, Ghetsis. Have a pleasant evening." Hana floated a few feet, stopped to blow a loud raspberry back at Team Plasma, and sped over to Touko and dropped her ball in her open palm.   
  
"Hey Hana," the Unovan girl smiled and recalled the Psychic type. "Let's get you back to Bel." The trio quickly left, but Touko could feel the head of Team Plasma's eyes boring into her back as the door closed behind her.

* * *

Back in the Castelia Gym, Arty scowled at the pair. "You know, I'd thought that you'd leave after getting that Pokemon back."   
  
"Why are you letting Team Plasma off?" Touko shot back angrily. "You know they kidnapped Hana!"   
  
"Circumstantial evidence at best," the gym leader waved off. "Anyone could have put on a Plasma outfit to threaten those girls. They'd get off with a warning, at best." He glanced over at Jay, who'd been quiet for a while. "Anything to say, quiet boy?"  
  
"Touko, he's right." Touko whirled on Jay with a retort ready, but the Kanto native held up a hand to stop her. "We know that Team Plasma did it, but what matters is what we can prove. Even if Bel or Iris could identify the people involved, they would claim it was a crime that the individuals caused, not the company itself."   
  
"It's not like we aren't looking into things," Arty added. "We just need more time to compile enough evidence so we don't get laughed out of court." He nodded at the Pokeball still in Touko's hand. "You got your friend's Pokemon back. Take the win."   
  
Fuming, Touko slowly counted to twenty in her mind to regain her temper. "Fine. But I'm still not done with you."   
  
Arty rolled his eyes. "Whoop de doo." Touko grit her teeth and ignored it.  
  
"About six months ago, my brother..."   
  
"Yes yes yes, I've had this conversation about twenty times." The gym leader sighed and leaned back against the wall. "I'll repeat what I've told three sets of cops and a bunch of reporters. Touya came in, swept the gym with that freaking Pignite of his, and then walked out with the badge. I barely said more than three sentences to him! If you want more info, then you'll find it either in the desert or Nimbasa."   
  
Jay's eyes narrowed. "How'd you know which trainer she was asking about?"   
  
"I'm an _artist_ ," Arty replied. "I know faces. Similar bone structure, similar features. Even without that, Aloe gave me a call a few days ago, letting me know you might show up. Not to mentioned that glasses guy who asked earlier today." He sighed and pressed a hand to his temples, muttering, "And I still have to process that T79-J."   
  
"Wait, Cher-" Touko was cut off by Jay snagging her arm, a warning in his eyes.   
  
"Thank you for your time, Arty. We'll be leaving now." The gym leader waved them off and Jay half lead, half dragged Touko back out to the streets of Castelia. Once they hit the outside, Touko angrily jerked her arm free.   
  
"What was that about? I didn't get to ask anything about Cheren!" the girl snarled, only for the anger to fade at the look on Jay's face. "Jay?"   
  
"Touko, do you know what a T79-J form is?" he whispered. A sick feeling brewing in her gut, Touko shook her head. "It's a form to let the Pokemon League know exactly what occurred when a gym battle has a death."   
  
The blood rushed from her face and Touko fought to keep from stumbling backwards in shock. "You...you think that..."   
  
Jay nodded. "I think Cheren went to battle Arty, and that one of his Pokemon got killed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm probably not the first to say it, but Burgh is usually one of the easiest gym leaders to face in any Pokemon game in a normal run. Part of it is because of the many weaknesses of Bug types, but you tend to get a lot of coverage for his team based on what starter you pick. You pick Snivy, Panpour/Simipour handles that Dwebble. Pignite of course steamrolls Whirlipede and Leavanny, and Oshawott covers Dwebble and Pansear/Simisear dominates his entire team. He's not hard.
> 
> So I thought I would make things interesting by making him more difficult, but for Cheren instead. Cheren has less coverage due to Snivy and he only ends up with a max of 4 Pokemon despite his goal of becoming Champion. So it's not too much of a stretch to imagine him losing Pokemon in battle. Poor Cheren, sorry! Anyways, leave a like and a review if you enjoyed it and I'll see you all next time!


	12. The Revenge

Breathing a heavy sigh of relief, Blue entered the small gate separating Castelia City from Route 4 and started wiping sand from his eyes. After confirming with Bel that Cheren had checked out early, Touko had insisted on searching for him on the desert route heading to the next city. The Kanto native glanced at his watch and clicked his tongue. They were supposed to meet back at the gate five minutes ago...  
  
That's when Touko came stumbling in, a surprisingly clean Koki pressed against her legs. She turned to Blue with hopeful eyes, only for her face to fall when he shook his head. "Damnit, Cheren. Where are you?" She turned to head back out into the sandstorm, but Blue quickly snagged her arm.  
  
"You promised this was the last time, Touko," he warned. "We've been searching for hours. Cheren's not stupid; he probably found some shelter for the rest of the storm." Touko reluctantly stared out onto Route 4 and then nodded.  
  
"You're right. Sorry, I'm just really worried about him." Koki whined and pressed his face against her leg and Touko ruffled his ears. "It's not your fault, Koki."  
  
"We can pick up the search tomorrow," Blue offered. He knew he wasn't the greatest at comforting. "Nimbasa is our next stop, right?" Touko silently nodded, still staring out into the sandstorm. "So we can look around while we travel. Not like there's anything keeping us here."  
  
"Not quite." Blue blinked in surprise at Touko's counter and watched as she recalled Koki and turned to head back into Castelia. "I need to beat Arty first."  
  
For a second, Blue thought the girl was joking. But the determined expression on the Unovan's face proved otherwise. "Wait. Wait wait wait, what?" Blue hastily stepped in her path to look Touko right in the eyes. " _You_ want to battle Arty? You hate battling!"  
  
"I hate it when people kill my friend's Pokemon more," Touko replied with a snarl. Blue shushed her, glancing around to make sure no one had heard. Thankfully the gate was mostly deserted due to the sandstorm. Unfortunately, this just put the girl's back up. "Don't you shush me, I'm not a child!"  
  
"We don't know what happened in that gym battle," Blue hissed.  
  
"You're the one who said that..." The gate slid open and Blue instantly slapped a hand over Touko's mouth. She glared at him furiously as a man dressed in a miner's outfit came stumbling in out of the sand. He didn't appear to notice the pair as he made his way across the tiled floor and exited through the other door. As they slid shut, Touko reached up and tore his hand away from her face. "You do that again and I'm punching you."  
  
Grimacing, Blue tried to ignore the very real threat in her eyes. "Touko, Arty is a gym leader. Gym leaders aren't supposed to kill challenger's Pokemon. It was most likely an _accident_."  
  
"A _preventable_ one! And you saw how he looked when he brought up that form, Jay!" Touko argued, folding her arms across her chest. "He didn't look the least bit guilty! It was almost an inconvenience to him!"  
  
"Touko," Blue tried, but the girl held up a hand to cut him off.  
  
"In all your challenges, have _you_ ever killed a Pokemon?"  
  
Now Blue was the one offended. "What?! No!"  
  
"And if you did, you'd feel guilty about it, right?" Seeing exactly where she was going with this and completely unable to see a way out of it, Blue reluctantly nodded. "Then you _know_ that his reaction was weird. Why even bring it up to us in the first place?" Her anger faded slightly and a pleading look appeared on her face. "Jay, please. You know this is off. I have to do this."  
  
Angrily, Blue ran a hand through his hair, dislodging bits of sand he'd missed before. "Touko, gym 3 is usually when things start to get serious for trainers. Aloe and Dent were easy mode compared to how Arty could be."  
  
"Then it's a good thing I have an eighth gym leader on my side, isn't it?" Touko smiled sweetly. Blue scoffed, and the smile immediately turned back into a scowl. "I'm challenging him Jay. With or without your help. But it would be a lot easier with it." The Kanto gym leader grimaced, mind whirling with plans to dissuade her from her challenge. Touko seemed to realize it and thus tried another tack. "Well, how about a bet then?"  
  
"A bet?" Blue blinked at the completely out of left-field question. Touko nodded.  
  
"Yeah. I caught a new Pokemon out there while I was searching. Badly injured Darumaka. They're really great physical attackers, but I haven't seen his nature yet." She grinned cheekily. "Since you're convinced that I'm under some kind of bad nature curse..."  
  
"Oh, you most definitely are."  
  
Rolling her eyes, Touko continued. "If the nature I get is good, then I get to challenge Arty and you have to help me. If it's bad, like you're sure it will be, then I'll back off and we'll leave Nimbasa without a challenge." She offered her hand to shake, but Blue's eyes narrowed.  
  
"What about a neutral nature, or one that doesn't matter?" Touko tilted her head in thought for a few seconds.  
  
"I'll be generous and say that a neutral or one that doesn't affect his attacking stats will count as bad in this case and you'll win. I'll only win if it's an Attack boosting nature. Deal?" Blue thought for a few seconds and then took it.  
  
"Deal." 

* * *

"I still say you cheated somehow," the Kanto native grumbled as the pair made their way back to the Castelia Gym. It had been a few hours since the bet had been made, and that time had been spent going over battle strategies as Touko trained up Kenta, the Naughty Darumaka. Touko playfully glared at him.  
  
"I did not cheat. Clearly, Arceus knows that Arty deserves the kick in the ass I'm about to give him." She ran a hand over the six balls at her belt, pausing at Kenta's Great Ball. "Though I am sorry I had to box Yume again."  
  
Blue shook his head. "If you end up in a situation where Yume's your best option in the Bug gym, then you might as well concede. A second Fire type is the smarter option over a Psychic type." He smirked at the disgruntled expression on the girl's face. "Hey, you're the one who wanted my help."  
  
"Just because you're right doesn't mean I have to like it," Touko countered, surprising a laugh out of him. She paused in front of the gym doors, staring at the electric list once more. Her face was blank, but Blue could see her hands shaking.  
  
"Hey." Blue placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to. You can back out at any time."  
  
For a few seconds, he honestly thought Touko would take him up on it. But instead, she shook her head. "No, I can't. But thanks." Sending him a small smile, the Unovan girl lead the way back into the gym where the same receptionist glanced up. "Hi, is it too late for a gym battle?"  
  
Looking two seconds away from a groan, the girl glanced at the clock longingly before returning to the computer. "You just made it. Five more minutes and I would have been off the clock." She held out a hand and Touko slapped her trainer card into it.  
  
"If it makes you feel any better, this won't take long," Touko promised. The woman looked at her, eyes moving from the top of her head to her shoes, and then snorted.  
  
"That's what they all say, girlie. You're all set, Arty's in the back. Just a warning, he'll be a bit testy." Sharing worried glances, Touko and Blue made their way back to the battlefield.  
  
Setting down his pad once more was Arty, who scowled at them both. "Oh come on, really?! If you wanted a gym battle, couldn't we have done it the first time you were here?"  
  
"I didn't want one then," Touko replied, taking her place in the challenger's spot while Blue took a seat on a nearby bench. "But then I learned you killed one of my friend's Pokemon."  
  
The Castelia gym leader smiled placidly, but Blue saw the small flinch. Arty was rattled. "I don't know where you heard that."  
  
"You said it yourself! A T79-J is used to inform the league of the events of a battle resulting in a death!"  
  
"How do you...Only members of the Pokemon League are supposed to know that!" Arty gasped. Blue hastily looked away, hoping he wouldn't be recognized. Thankfully, Touko just folded her arms across her chest and gave a little shrug. "Look, it was his own fault! What kind of trainer leaves a Fire type out against a Rock type anyways! And it was a critical hit, completely accidental!"  
  
"Did you even apologize!?" Touko snarled. "Cheren is out there somewhere because of something you did! A death that you caused, and you were complaining about the _paperwork!_ Do you even know what he's going through?"  
  
Arty flung up his hands dramatically. "For Arceus's sake, it's a freaking _Darumaka!_ They're everywhere on Route 4, he can just catch another!"  
  
There was probably more being said, but that single statement sent Blue back. Back to one of the worst memories that he had as a trainer.

* * *

_The first Double Kick sent the Raticate flying backwards, still growling and ready to battle. But the second one, that's the one that came down heavily on the Normal type's skull and crushed it. Blue was barely aware of the scream that left his throat as he raced forward to cling to the now lifeless body of Chewey. "Chewey, no. No, please wake up!"  
  
"Hey, the battle's not over yet!" Blinking tears from his eyes, Blue looked up at the boy he'd been battling. He vaguely recalled his name being Dave or something. "Unless you want to forfeit now."  
  
"For... **You killed him!** " Blue stumbled to his feet, still cradling the heavy body of his Pokemon. "You killed Chewey!"  
  
Dave gave a long-suffering sigh. "It's just a freaking Raticate. They're everywhere in Kanto. Just catch another Rattata or an actual Raticate if you want one so much." He smirked and held out a hand. "If that means you give up, then I want my money please." His Nidoran chuckled from by his feet.  
  
Half-blinded by tears and fueled by rage, Blue gently laid the body of his second catch back on the ground, rose to his feet, and tackled the other trainer. One of his Pokeballs fell off his belt and bounced open as the trainers grappled, but Blue barely noticed as he slammed his fist into Dave's nose. The trainer howled in pain as blood began pouring out, knocking Blue off and crawling backwards. "You're crazy! It's just a Rati-" He was cut off by his Nidoran being flung into his face.  
  
Tears still running down his cheeks, Blue turned to see a now evolved Harry glaring daggers at the trainer and Pokemon on the dirt. "Get out of here!" Blue yelled. "Go! Go!" Whimpering, Dave recalled his Nidoran and sprinted down Route 11 back towards Vermilion City. As he faded into the distance, Blue stumbled back to the body and wrapped his arms around it. He barely felt Harry stroking his back in an attempt to soothe as he sobbed into tan fur. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." _

* * *

"Jay? Jay, are you alright?" Blue jolted as he was pulled from his memories by Touko, who crouched in front of him and gripped his cold hands in hers. "Jay? You back with us?"  
  
"Yeah. Yeah, sorry. I just..." Hastily, Blue jerked a hand free to wipe his face, thankful they were only slightly wet. "Sorry."  
  
Touko eyed him worriedly. "You ready to get out of here?"  
  
"What about your gym match?" he asked, causing the girl to laugh.  
  
"Oh, you were gone for a while, weren't you?" She held up a shiny badge and grinned. "Your advise worked too well. Kei was the only one who took any damage, and Arty was so frazzled he tried attacking with a special move after using Screech. Just threw the badge at my face and ran off once Hiroshi took his last Pokemon down." She pulled out her badge case and placed it in the slot. "I've been trying to wake you up for the past five minutes, but you were really gone." Rising to her feet, Touko offered a hand and Blue gratefully took it to pull himself up. "You want to talk or should I forget it ever happened?"  
  
"I..." For a second, Blue was tempted. But he quickly shook his head. "Not now. It's...well..."  
  
"You don't have to explain," Touko soothed. "I get it." The tension seeped out of his body and Blue returned her smile.  
  
"Hey!" The pair jolted as the receptionist called out from the door. "You two coming or what? I want to get home!"  
  
"Sorry, sorry!" Touko laughed as they hurried over to the door. The gym lights dimmed and then darkened entirely as the door slid shut behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, I like Burgh as a character usually. But god, he is such an easy gym leader. I was not kidding about what Touko said; I used three Pokemon against him and only Kei took damage. And it was only 10 from that Struggle Bug his Whirlipede used. Leavanny and Dwebble were both one-shot before they could move, and I didn't even use Kenta in the battle! Akane had evolved and I wanted her to beat the ace as a send-off before I boxed her. Simisear is...decent, but Naughty Darumaka and future Darmanitan is just so much better!
> 
> Gym notes are below for those who are interested, and leave a like and a review if you enjoyed this chapter. I'll see you all next time!
> 
> Everyone is level 23 and Kei is up front, holding the Eviolite. Akane has the Amulet Coin and Hiroshi has his Mystic Water.  
> o Vs. Whirlepede, male, and level 21. Screech and Smack Down. Struggle Bug, which does 10 damage, and Smack Down KO.   
> o Vs. Leavanny, male, and level 23. Flame Burst OHKO.   
> o Vs. Dwebble, male, and level 21. Water Gun OHKO. Win.


	13. Chapter 12: The Desert

"Are you sure one of us shouldn't wait here?" Bel asked as her hands twisted in her skirt. "Just in case Cheren does come back to the hotel? I mean, he might not have gone straight on to Nimbasa."   
  
Touko shook her head, watching Jay as he checked them out of the hotel. The Kanto native had been quiet since last night, and Touko was still wondering how hard she should press him. They'd connected more during their week exploring the city, but the last thing she wanted to do was cross a line. "I still need to get to Nimbasa to look for Touya and I don't think leaving you alone here is a good idea."   
  
"...I know. I'm useless." The sheer despondency in Bel's voice pulled Touko from her musings to look at the girl. The blonde had bags under her eyes from a lack of sleep and the Pokeballs usually kept on her belt were now safely stowed away in her bag for safekeeping. Mentally scolding herself for not seeing this, Touko instantly pulled Bel into a tight embrace.   
  
"You are the _farthest_ thing from useless, Bel. You're smart, you're brave, you're dedicated..."   
  
"I'm not though," Bel whispered, burying her face in the brunette's shoulder. "They took Hana from me and I could do nothing. Just sit and wait until you went and brought her back to me. Maybe I should just..."   
  
"Don't finish that sentence," Touko warned. "That's your father talking. You did what you had to do to save yourself and Iris. And I barely did anything with Hana, Arty was the one who got her back," she reluctantly admitted. "It was luck, Bel. Just luck." She stepped back and wiped the tears from her friend's cheeks. "You're brilliant and one day the world is going to be changed by your research. The name of Professor Bel Shirai is going to be in every science textbook in the world. Don't let one bad day spoil the rest of your life."   
  
Sniffling, Bel pulled a small handkerchief out of her purse and wiped her eyes. "How do you always know what to say?"   
  
Grinning, Touko shrugged. "All that therapy had to be good for something." Bel gave a watery laugh before her eyes landed on something behind Touko and her face paled. Taking a quick guess, Touko asked without turning her head, "I guess you're done checking us out, Jay?"   
  
"We're all set," came the expected reply and Touko smirked, pleased that she got it right. She turned to see a bemused look on his face. "I never expected you'd be so dedicated to returning the room keys."   
  
"Why would you want to keep them?" the Unovan girl asked. "It's basically pointless for you after you check out. Unless you, I don't know. Collect them and use them to make awkward card towers?" She shrugged before glancing back at Bel, who was looking at Jay very nervously. "I told Jay about it earlier, Bel. It's fine."   
  
"You...you told..." Bel stuttered and Touko shook her head.   
  
" _Only_ my story. I promise." Ignoring the little pang in her heart, she reached out and grasped Bel's shaking hands in hers.   
  
"I know that she met you and Cheren in group, but that's it," Jay admitted, quickly catching on to the situation. The white of Bel's cheeks quickly turned pink as she stared down at her shoes, clearly embarrassed. Touko quickly squeezed her hands, telling her without words that all was forgiven before releasing them to clap hers together.  
  
"If we're all set, let's get out of here. No need to clog up the lobby." 

* * *

The good news was that the sandstorm had thankfully died down a lot during the night. The bad news was there was enough wind going that visibility was still impacted. Shaking her head, Touko released a cheerful Koki to help guide them through the storm. "And to think, people come to work here every day."   
  
"Or fish," Bel added, pointing to one of the small fishing spots nearby. Her eyes scanned the nearby route and then she visibly deflated. "Still no sign of Cheren."  
  
"Cher's not stupid," Touko pointed out, injecting more cheer into her voice than she actually felt. "He wouldn't spend all night out in a sandstorm. Either he made it to Nimbasa or found one of the rest houses so that he..." Koki suddenly gave a loud bark and vanished into the sand, cutting his trainer off. "Koki! Koki, come back here!"   
  
"Wait," Jay warned. "He was out here searching for Cheren too yesterday. Maybe he picked up the scent?" There was a silence, and the three sprinted off after the Normal type. Thankfully, the Herdier skidded to a halt not too far away, pointing eagerly at a small protective nook between some rocks where a familiar figure in a blue jacket knelt in front of a makeshift gravestone.   
  
"Cheren," Bel cried out joyfully, rushing over and throwing her arms around the trainer, who barely seemed to notice her. "We were so worried when you didn't come back last night and you weren't answering your calls or texts or..." She trailed off when the boy didn't bother responding. She exchanged worried glances with Touko before turning back to him. "Cheren?"   
  
"...Leave me alone, Bel." The flat statement sparked a quiet rage in Touko, but she quickly tamped it down as she took a seat on the other side of Cheren. Koki joined her, panting as the sand danced around his pristine fur. Silently, she took the boy's hand and squeezed it, gazing at the small marker with a tiny flame etched into the stone. After a moment, Cheren squeezed back.   
  
"Would it make you feel better to know I crushed Arty like a rotten Wiki Berry and he basically ran off crying?" A reluctant laugh escaped the male trainer's throat and Touko smiled to herself. "Yeah, I thought that might. Arty's an ass."   
  
"...But it was my fault. I knew that Dwebble was part Rock type, but I got cocky. And then Fire Fang missed and I just..." Cheren shook his head sadly. "I was stupid. No, worse than stupid. Reckless and cocky and arrogant."   
  
"Maybe," Touko admitted, earning an angry squawk from Bel. "But reckless, cocky, and arrogant doesn't deserve death. Arty's the gym leader. He should have known better. And you'll be better now." She turned to look Cheren dead in the eyes. "Won't you?"   
  
Cheren nodded firmly. "I will."   
  
"Then you better get started." Touko rose to her feet and gave a lazy stretch, ignoring how the grains of sand scratched against her skin. "Not going to become champion by getting buried in a sand dune." Bel and Cheren got up as well, the latter shaking his head.   
  
"How do you do that? How do you know what to say?"   
  
"That's what I asked!" Bel added, pointing at Touko. "I literally asked that this morning!" She glanced over to Jay, who had been standing to the side with hands awkwardly in his pockets. "Have you asked her that?"   
  
He pondered for a moment, and then shook his head. "I don't think so? Definitely not today though." Bel's face fell at the news.   
  
"Aw! We could have had a triple play! Or a turkey!" Jay blinked in clear confusion, and Cheren and Touko snickered as Bel stared at the Kanto native. "Baseball? Or bowling? Is Pokemon all you think about?"   
  
"Now he's done it," Cheren sighed as Bel strode towards a terrified looking Jay, eager to share her knowledge of sports. "We're going to be roped into watching a game at Nimbasa Stadium now, you know."   
  
Touko shrugged. "To be fair, we were probably going to do it anyways. And maybe you'll finally have someone you can beat at bowling." She smiled as Cheren sputtered angrily. "You know I'm right."   
  
"Well excuse me for not being a bowling savant like you two," Cheren scoffed and turned with his nose in the air. Touko sighed and shook her head.   
  
"We're not savants, Cher. You're just really _really_ bad at bowling." A thought occurred to her and she grabbed him by the arm. "Cher, your phone was off yesterday, right?" He nodded and she sighed in relief. "That's better than the alternative. You must have missed what happened to Bel."   
  
Irritation fading, Cheren turned back to her. "What happened to Bel?" Sighing, Touko jerked her head back towards the route.   
  
"I'll explain on the way." 

* * *

A few hours later, the group split up. Bel and Cheren were heading straight to the city, Bel to relax and Cheren to heal up his team. Touko and Jay on the other hand were heading straight towards the Desert Resort. It was a prime training spot, but potentially very dangerous as well. Taking a quick break in the gate leading to the resort, Touko sighed and opened her phone to stare at the picture of herself, her mom, and Touya. "I don't know if I want to find out you were here or not, bro," she whispered.   
  
Jay sank down in the chair next to her and tilted his head back, eyes closed and the picture of exhaustion. "I'm mad at you, you know."   
  
Flushing, Touko quickly put her phone away. "Sorry to leave you at Bel's mercy. I was filling in Cheren about Hana's kidnapping."   
  
Jay opened one eye to glare at her. "And _after_?"   
  
"Self-preservation?" the girl offered hopefully, receiving a scowl in response. "Bel really likes sports and I've already heard her lectures way too many times to count. Cheren too." The glare remained and Touko quickly held up her hands in defense. "On the bright side, you're now better equipped to win even more trivia nights at bars."   
  
"Like we needed to be any better," the Kanto native muttered. There was a silence and then he quietly asked, "So what's the deal with her father?" Touko flinched and Jay turned to look at her head-on. "I heard enough this morning and if he's the same Mr. Shirai that tried to stop us at Stration..."   
  
" ** _Don't_**." Jay flinched at the harshness in her voice, and Touko momentarily felt guilty about it. "Telling you my story is one thing, but I won't tell you theirs. It's not my place to say." She folded her arms across her chest. "They get to decide if you learn their story. Just like you get to decide if you want to tell them yours. I'm not breaking that trust."   
  
Appropriately chastised, Jay turned away. "I get it. Sorry."   
  
Touko held onto her anger for a few more seconds before releasing it in a heavy sigh. "No, I'm sorry. I get it, really I do. It's natural to want to ask about these things," she admitted, feeling Jay's gaze return to her as she stared at her shoes. "But I told you that Cheren and Bel are my best friends and trust is a big thing between the three of us. I guess I'm a bit oversensitive about that." She glanced up with a cheerful smile pasted onto her face to hide her nerves. "I'll forgive you for asking if you forgive me for lashing out?"   
  
"Deal," Jay grinned back in clear relief. He glanced back over at the gate and stood. "Ready to tackle the storm once again?" he asked, offering a hand.   
  
Beaming, Touko took it and let him help her to her feet. "Let's go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the rival battles were here of course, but I didn't really see a point of having them in-story. So I swapped them out for character conversation. I hope that I did a good job at least. Bel's fondness for sports is mostly based around the science and math behind them. Though she is pretty good at bowling. Cheren is awful, and he's too proud to use the bumpers so he gets a lot of gutter balls.
> 
> The battles with Bel and Cheren are below for those who are interested, and we'll reach Nimbasa in the next chapter where things will start to pick up once more. Leave a like and a review if you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you all next time! 👋
> 
> In the gate to Route 4, Jay and Touko find Bel who asks for a battle. Team is all level 23 still and Kei is still up front with the Eviolite.
> 
> Vs. Herdier, female and level 18 with Intimidate. Take Down which does 6 damage and Rock Smash with defense drop. Take Down and Rock Smash. Super Potion and Headbutt. Take Down and Smack Down. Super Potion and Headbutt. Take Down and Smack Down KO.  
>  Vs. Pansage, male and level 18. Fire Punch OHKO.  
>  Vs. Munna, female, and level 18. Tackle and Yawn. Bite KO and Koki falls asleep.  
>  Vs. Pignite, male, and level 20. Razor Shell OHKO. Win.
> 
> Immediately outside the gate, they run into Cheren, who also wants a battle. Koki is up front with the Amulet Coin.
> 
> Vs. Pidove, male, and level 20. Bite and flinch. Tackle KO.  
>  Vs. Servine, male, and level 22. Leaf Tornado and Fire Punch OHKO.  
>  Vs. Panpour, male, and level 20. Shock Wave OHKO.  
>  Vs. Liepard, male, and level 20. Torment and Razor Shell. Sand Attack and Water Gun KO. Hiroshi levels up and Win.


	14. Chapter 13: The Train Ride

Blue was beginning to feel sorry for any trainer who lived in Unova. Kanto might have a lot of flaws, like a shockingly low amount of Dark types and a severe Rattata investation, but at least he never had to deal with sand on a regular basis. Wiping his eyes, Blue squinted to hopefully get a better view through the billowing storm. He and Touko had been making their way through the resort for a while, questioning the various trainers about her brother. A few vaguely remembered seeing someone resembling Touya with a Pignite, but nothing more recent than a few months ago. By now, Blue was sure that they'd run out of people to talk to. "I think we may need to head back soon," he commented, glancing over his shoulder only to find swirling sand.  
  
 _Not again_ , Blue thought as he sighed. This had been the fourth time the pair had lost each other, and Blue was beginning to wish they had tied themselves together. If this was anything like before, all he needed to do was wait until Koki sniffed him out again. But that plan vanished as a scream filled the air, coming from somewhere to his right. His heart plummeted into his stomach and he hurried towards the sound. "Touko! Touko!"  
  
Thankfully, a flash of red light combined with the repeated sound of a Pokeball failing to recall a Pokemon led him straight to her. Through a patch of thicker sand, he spotted Yume floating and wincing as the dirt dug into her body. A small desert crocodile was glaring hungrily at the Psychic type as Touko kept trying to recall the trapped Munna to her ball. "Oh please, please work!" the girl begged as the red light fizzled out again and again.  
  
 _Sand Tomb. Yume's trapped and since she only knows Psychic moves..._ Quickly, a plan appeared in his mind just as he reached the panicking girl. "Touko, tell Yume to use Yawn."  
  
"Wh-what?" Touko glanced at him as her attempt to recall Yume failed once more. "Jay, I..."  
  
"Yawn, Touko." Wincing at the serious tone, the Unovan girl nodded. A floating fog made its way to the Sandile and engulfed the wild Pokemon's head. The small desert crocodile started to sway as drowsiness started to kick in. "Alright, that will make this easier."  
  
"I can't switch her out though! She only knows Psychic moves and..." Sensing that Touko was about to spiral again, Blue grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her a little shake.  
  
"Touko, calm down. Think. Sand Tomb only lasts for a short time and the Sandile will be asleep for at least half of that." She opened her mouth to protest and Blue quickly hurried on. "Yume doesn't have to beat it. She just has to survive the Sand Tomb until you can send in Hiroshi to take it out. You have plenty of healing items, you stocked up on them for Arty, remember?" Touko gave a jerky nod. "Then that's what you'll do. Breathe, focus, and you'll be fine."  
  
"...All right. All right." Taking a deep breath, Touko dug into her bag and pulled out a few Super Potions. Thankfully, the Sandile dozed off pretty quickly and when the Sand Tomb finally died down, Hiroshi was sent out to oneshot the still sleeping Pokemon. The Dewott instantly turned to hug his trainer, who buried her face in his fur as she started to cry.  
  
Grimacing, Blue gently tugged Koki's Pokeball from her belt and released the Herdier. The Normal type took one look at Touko and whined. "Hey, we need to get out of this desert. Can you lead us to the gate Koki?" Pulling an Escape Rope out of her bag, Blue quickly looped it around Koki's neck so that they wouldn't lose him and wrapped an arm around Touko. Koki pressed his nose to the sand and lead them back over their trail to the dark blue gate.  
  
Shaking the sand out of his hair, Blue reached down to untie the Herdier. Touko, who had stopped crying somewhere along the way, walked over and sank down into one of the chairs, still cuddling a crooning Hiroshi. _Oh boy._ Hoping that he wouldn't screw this up, Blue walked over and crouched down in front of Touko, placing his hands over hers. "Hey, it's alright."  
  
"Jay, I choked." The sheer misery in Touko's eyes made Blue's heart hurt. "If you hadn't been there, I would have lost Yume."  
  
Blue bit his lip, unsure how to comfort her. Because Touko was right, she had messed up badly. The pair was silent for a few seconds while Blue frantically tried to think of something to say. "You don't have to be perfect, right?" Touko's jaw dropped and Blue instantly wanted to crawl into a hole. "Shit, that's not what I meant."  
  
To his surprise, Touko started laughing. "That...that's what you went for?" she giggled. "I mess up so badly and dissolve into a sobbing mess and you go with, 'I don't have to be perfect?' Not something like how I'll do better next time or to stay calm in a battle?"  
  
"Shut up. I'm not good at this. Not with people at least," Blue muttered, glancing away as his face heated up. Wiping the mixture of sand and tears from her cheeks, Touko reached out and took the Kanto native's hand in hers.  
  
"I'm sorry. Your advice was incredibly vague, but I do appreciate it." Blue huffed, still avoiding her gaze. "To be fair, I know what went wrong. I started overthinking the situation and panicked rather than using the obvious solution." The cheerful smile faded slightly. "There's a reason I make a better future scientist than a trainer."  
  
"You got through it," Blue pointed out, turning back to face her once he was sure his face wasn't red.  
  
"Because you came up with a plan and pulled me out of my head so I stopped spiraling," Touko countered. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek, feather-light and sweet. "Thank you, Jay." As he flushed and sputtered, an impish look appeared on her face as Yume was let out of her ball. "Yume, you want to thank Jay for saving you too, right?" The Munna let out a delighted squeal and dove forward to rub her head against Blue's, chirping happily.  
  
"You're welcome," Blue muttered, flustered and embarrassed. Thankfully, the attention was pulled off him by Hiroshi lightly smacking his paw against Touko's chest and pointing to himself. Snickering, Touko briefly turned and kissed her Dewott on the nose.  
  
"And thank you, Hiro. You did a great job out there." Yume floated over to nuzzle the Water type's head as well, making Hiroshi puff out his chest in pride. The two trainers shared amused glances before Touko recalled her Pokemon. "I think I've had enough of the Desert Resort for a while. Nimbasa?"  
  
" _Please._ "

* * *

Blue wasn't exactly sure what amazing science allowed Nimbasa to exist without the sand from Route 4 getting everywhere, but he was very grateful for it. "If we never have to go through that route again, I'll be happy," he grumbled as he brushed sand out of his clothes and hair. "How do people live with that every day?"  
  
Touko, who was doing the same thing as Blue, gave a little shrug. "Honestly, I have no idea. If I have to deal with sand, I'd rather be at the beach than the desert personally."  
  
"Maybe in a year or two," Blue muttered, emptying more sand out of his pockets. "For now, I'll stick to pools." Touko laughed and shook her head. "So, any plans for Nimbasa? I'm sure you have...something up your sleeve." The end of the sentence came out slower than he planned as his eyes landed on someone further down the street. A boy around their age or maybe a bit older, with dark brown hair sticking out from under a white and red cap. Blue squinted a bit, sure that he recognized the guy from somewhere.  
  
"Of course," the girl beamed as she cheerfully lead the way to the Pokemon Center. Blue followed, mentally flipping through faces as the boy grew closer and closer. "Bel would kill us if we didn't catch some sort of sporting event at Nimbasa Stadium, which could be anything from baseball to tennis depending on the day. There's the theater which I could probably score us tickets to if you're interested in a musical or play, and of course Nimbasa Amusement Park is world famous for a reason." She glanced over her shoulder. "You _have_ been to an amusement park, have you?"  
  
"Um..." Jolted out of his thoughts, Blue winced at the utterly betrayed look that appeared on Touko's face. "Look, I've been busy! Being a gym leader is a full time job and then the papers didn't write themselves!"  
  
"...What about before you were a trainer? Didn't anyone take you to one as a kid?" The question was asked quietly, but pulled at memories Blue had spent a long time suppressing. A brief flash of Agatha showing up at the house with three tickets faded to one of her arguing with his grandfather in the kitchen while Daisy turned up the volume on the TV to cover their shouts.  
  
"There were...more important things to do," Blue settled on saying, staring across the street as the boy he knew from somewhere walked by. "My grandfather had research..." He risked a glance back at his travel companion, and that's when it clicked. His mind flashed back to the photo she'd shown him in the Stration Restaurant and Blue's jaw dropped. _That's...what the hell is **he** doing here? _"Holy shit. Touko, look."  
  
"Look at what?" Touko followed his pointing finger and she gaped at the sight. "Oh god, Touya!?" At the sound of his name, Touya turned, paled, and then sprinted in the opposite direction. "Touya!" Instantly, Touko was off and Blue scrambled to catch up. The pair scrambled through the streets, dodging passersby and small street carts set up as Touya dodged and wove his way around with the ease of someone who was familiar with the area. But he eventually made his way off the street to race into a large brown building.  
  
As the two ran down the large set of stairs, Blue noticed the circular dome of the ceiling and made a split-second decision. "You go left, I'll take right. We'll cut him off at the center." Nodding, Touko raced off and Blue focused on not bowling over the various strangers all giving him weird looks as he ran by. Thankfully, his guess turned out to be right and he spotted Touya sprinting towards him with Touko close behind. Unfortunately, Touya saw him too and dove into one of the small side tunnels nearby.  
  
Panting, Blue and Touko followed him through the gate and onto the silver and brown train loaded with passengers. He skidded to a halt in front of a baffled crowd, and turned to watch Touko and Blue with a panicked look in his eyes. "Touya, what's going on? Mom's been worried sick!" Touko growled as she slowly approached her older brother. "Where have you been?"  
  
His eyes darting back and forth like a skittish Pokemon, Touya appeared to come to a decision. "Sorry, sis." As the doors slid shut, Touya launched himself through, landing with a solid thud on the ground as they closed, leaving Touko and Blue trapped inside.  
  
"Touya!" Touko called, rushing to the window in time to see her brother run back up into the station as the train began rolling away. Furious, she banged her fist on the window, ignoring the stares and murmurs she was getting from the other passengers. "Touya."  
  
Glancing around, Blue spotted some seats near the back of the train car. He walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Touko, let's sit down, alright?" Thankfully, Touko allowed him to usher her to the seats, and everyone else started talking amongst themselves, no doubt sharing thoughts and guesses about what just happened. Blue looked at Touko, who was staring down at her hands in misery. "I'm sorry we couldn't catch him."  
  
"It's not your fault." Sighing, she ran a hand through her ponytail. "I don't get it. He's been gone for months, and since he's clearly not dead, what has he been doing for all this time? Why hasn't he contacted me or Mom?" She lifted her head and Blue winced at the tears welling up in her eyes. "What happened to my brother?"  
  
Blue opened his mouth to say something, and nothing came out. So he closed it and instead covered her hand with his and squeezed it gently, hoping it would be enough. He wasn't sure at first, but then Touko squeezed it back. They sat in silence for a while, watching the scenery fly by as the train carried them off to who knows where. "What are you going to do now?"  
  
"Now?" Touko huffed out a laugh and reached into her pocket with the hand not holding Blue's. "Now, I think I'll call my mom."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the event that happened with that Sandile...actually happened twice. Thankfully it happened in the Desert Resort where the Sandile don't learn Bite instead of Route 4. It is very hard to grind up a Munna in the desert. Curse of part dark types. I'll probably be evolving Yume soon since she won't learn any more good moves until the 40s, and I'm not sure I'll be able to keep her alive without evolving her until then. At least this scenario gave Blue some time to shine, he hasn't had the chance to show off since he got to Unova.
> 
> As for the scene with Touya, this had been planned out for a while since Nimbasa is the only place where you can meet Touya/Touko at the battle subway. We'll find out more about what he's been up to next time. Leave a like and a review if you enjoyed this update and I'll see you next time!


	15. The Ferris Wheel

"Are you sure that you want to do this?" Jay asked as the two watched the train slowly chug away from the Anville Station. Swallowing the burning in her throat, Touko turned and gave him a cheerful grin.  
  
"Yeah, I'm sure. I doubt Touya would stick around anyways so there's really no reason to head back immediately." She threw out an arm and gestured to the town behind her. "And I was going to take you here to Anville Town anyways so why not cross it off the list now?" Jay folded his arms across his chest and gave her a knowing look. Sighing, Touko ran a hand through her hair. "Look, I'm fine Jay. Really."  
  
Raising an eyebrow, Jay snorted. "Now why don't I believe that?" Touko rolled her eyes before turning and strolling her way, forcing the Kanto native to follow her. "Touko, you're allowed to be upset about this."  
  
"It's not worth crying over," Touko dismissed, ignoring how much she wanted to do just that. How much she wanted to scream and wail and bang her fists into the ground because Touya was alive. He was alive and walking around which meant that he wasn't dead. He wasn't being held hostage in some creep's basement or trapped out in the middle of the woods with only his Pokemon. Which meant that there was literally no reason for him to drop off the face of the planet, to let Touko and their mother believe he was gone for good. At least, not one that Touko could accept at the moment.  
  
But she wasn't going to cry about it. It wouldn't fix things and there were too many people from the train ride earlier still milling about, watching her and Jay and whispering to one another. She'd heard a few theories so far, most involving a love triangle of some kind. So Touko held her head high and clung to her pride like a shield because if it dropped for a second, she would break. Instead, she focused on climbing up the tall stairs that overlooked the large building housing the unused trains, as well as what looked to be a small bazaar set up. "Looks like we came at a good time," Touko commented with a nod towards the booths. "The Anville Bazaar is one of the..."  
  
"Touko, please." Jay interrupted, physically stepping in her path as well. "If you want to head back..."  
  
"I said I'm..." Thankfully, her phone started ringing before Touko could go off on Jay. Glancing at the screen briefly, Touko swallowed at the name. "It's my mom. Guess she got my message."  
  
A gentle hand squeezed her shoulder. "You want some privacy for this?"  
  
Touko nodded. Her mom had a habit of just ignoring any messages sent to her and calling the person back rather than listening. If the pattern held true, then Touko was in for a long talk. "Can...can you just go to the bazaar while I do this? Please?" Clearly reluctant, Jay released her shoulder and nodded.  
  
"If you need me for _anything_ , find me," he stated firmly before heading over to one of the booths. Touko, spotting a small bench, quickly jogged over and sank down. Pressing the 'accept' button, she held the phone to her ear.  
  
"Hey sweetie! Sorry I missed you earlier, we were getting slammed for a bit," Ren Sasaki apologized. "How is everything, are you still in Castelia?"  
  
It was the sound of her mother's cheerfulness that confirmed that she hadn't listened to Touko's message, and that was the fact that broke her. Tears started welling up in her eyes and she quickly wiped them away. _"Mom!"_  
  
Instantly, Ren's voice changed from cheerful to concerned. "Touko, what happened? Is it your Pokemon? Are Bel and Cheren alright?"  
  
"Mom, I...I found Touya. He's alive." There was a silence, and then a creaking sound as her mother undoubtedly collapsed into a chair. "He's in Nimbasa, or at least he was."  
  
" _Alive_." That single word was practically breathed out, and told Touko just how much Touya's disappearance had affected her mother. "He's alive. Did the police contact you?"  
  
"No. No I...Jay and I, we'd just gotten into Nimbasa and..." Touko told her story in short bursts, pausing regularly to wipe the tears and to blow her nose a couple of times. Ren just listened, though she did gasp when her daughter described the dive Touya had made to the platform. "I don't get it, Mom. He's alive and he..." Touko shook her head. "I'm so _happy_ he's ok, but I'm just so **furious** with him!"  
  
"You and me both, baby," Ren soothed. "I'm sure he has what he _thinks_ is a good reason. Though I'm not sure what reason he can give that'll be good enough for either of us." That last part had been muttered, and had Touko gasping out a watery laugh. "Oh sweetie, this has been hard on you, huh?"  
  
"Not as hard as it has been for you," Touko countered.  
  
"Now, don't make this into a contest, Touko," Ren warned in that tone perfected by all mothers. "That's a game that you only win by losing." She sighed and Touko heard the creak of the chair as her mother leaned back. "So what do you plan to do now?"  
  
"I..." Honestly, Touko had no idea. Despite her goal, she hadn't believe that Touya could be found, and definitely hadn't expected that he would run from her. "I guess just try to track him down again. Try to find out what made him go AWOL in the first place."  
  
There was a silence that had Touko squirming in her seat. "Touko, I want you to promise me something. Promise me that you'll be careful."  
  
The request left the girl blinking in confusion. "Mom? What are you talking about?"  
  
"Whatever reason Touya has for what he's done, there's a chance that it's trouble," Ren answered. "This isn't a trading situation; I will not lose my daughter to get my son back. So even if it means..." There was a slight hitch in her breath. "Even if it means leaving Touya behind, I want you to get out if you find yourself in a dangerous situation. Alright?"  
  
More tears welled up in Touko's eyes, but they were happy ones. "I love you Mom."  
  
"I love you too sweetie. But I didn't hear a promise." Rolling her eyes, Touko sighed. "And don't you roll your eyes at me, young lady. I'm your mother, it's my job to worry about you."  
  
"Yes Mom. And I promise I will try not to get in any dangerous situations." Touko smiled innocently, even though her mom couldn't see her through the phone. Ren groaned.  
  
"That's as good as I'm going to get, aren't I?"  
  
"Probably," Touko admitted. "I don't want to make a promise I'm not sure I can keep."  
  
"I guess I'll have to trust that boy of yours to keep you out of trouble then." Touko blinked, and then briefly pulled the phone away to stare at it for a few seconds. "Touko? Honey, you still there?"  
  
"Mom, what boy?" Then it clicked in her mind, causing Touko to flush. "Wait, Mom! It's not like that! Jay's just a friend!"  
  
"But I was talking about Cheren," came the innocent reply, earning a scoff from Touko. "Your mind jumped to Jay all on your own."  
  
"Yes, funny how it would go _right_ to the guy I'm literally traveling with," the Unovan girl muttered, receiving a laugh for it. "Mom, I mean it."  
  
"Of course, baby," Ren responded fondly. "Oh, my break is almost up. I have to go. Take care and call me later, okay?"  
  
"I will. Love you Mom."  
  
"Love you too, and say hi to everyone for me, Pokemon and people!" Smiling, Touko listened to the dial tone as her mother disconnected before closing the phone. Though she was still upset about Touya, talking with her mom always helped.   
  
"Hey." Touko jolted and turned to see Jay standing nearby, holding a small bag in one hand with the other shoved into a pocket. "I guess things went well?"  
  
"Yeah," she admitted, sliding to one side so that Jay could join her on the bench. "She was surprised to say the least. The rest is..." Touko spun a hand in the air. "...a jumble I guess. A lot like how I'm feeling." She bit her lip and stared out at the small town. "She says 'hi' by the way."  
  
"Still haven't met her," Jay pointed out, making Touko laugh. "But she sounds...strong."  
  
"She is," Touko agreed. "She's the strongest person I know." Her eyes dropped down to the bag. "Ooh, you went shopping. What did you get?" To her surprise, Jay blushed and just shoved the bag into her hands. "Uh..."  
  
"Look, I saw it and I thought it would help," he grumbled, jerking his head away from her. Curious, Touko peeked inside, and her jaw dropped.  
  
"Jay, these are expensive," she whispered as she pulled out the Moon Stone. "I can't accept this."  
  
"All it cost me was a couple of Star Pieces I wasn't using," Jay responded with a roll of his eyes. "And you're worried about Yume, right? So just use the Moon Stone to evolve her and that should help some." Touko opened her mouth and Jay shook his head. "I don't have any Pokemon back home who can use it so either keep it, use it, or it's going in the trash somewhere."  
  
"You can't just throw away a Moon Stone! Do you know how rare they are?!" Touko balked at the very idea, only to frown when Jay's expression turned smug. She gave a reluctant snort and shook her head. "Thank you, really."  
  
Jay gave a shrug before dropping his gaze to her belt. "Want to see how Yume feels about it?"  
  
"You're going to become her favorite person after this," Touko muttered, reaching for the ball.

* * *

It was a few hours later when Touko had the realization. "You know, I should have got a Moon Stone myself. Bel will want Hana to evolve eventually."  
  
"It was the only one I saw that didn't come in a set for all the stones," Jay explained as they joined the crowd flowing off of the train. "And they were asking for either huge sums of money neither of us had or one of a kind items. I know one of them asked for a Lunar Wing of all things."  
  
"An actual Lunar Wing?" Touko's eyes widened. "Like from Cresselia? Did he honestly expect someone with a Lunar Wing would be walking around Anville Town with it?" Jay gave a shrug and Touko just stared up at the ceiling. "Sometimes I just don't get people."  
  
"You're better at it than I am," Jay pointed out, causing Touko to laugh as they stepped out of the station and into the warm Nimbasa evening. But the laughter instantly died down at the sight of a familiar figure with long green hair in a ball cap. Jay followed her gaze and instantly grabbed her hand. "We should leave."  
  
"Oh, you're here!" N's smile, just a little bit off, remained focused on Touko. "I've been waiting for you."  
  
"Whatever you want, I don't care," the Unovan girl answered as she turned on her heel. "Let's go, Jay."  
  
"You're looking for Touya, aren't you?" Touko instantly froze, and she could practically feel N's smile grow. "I know where he is. Your brother is waiting for you, Touko."  
  
Jay squeezed her hand in warning. "Funny, I don't recall either of us mentioning that Touko had a brother to you," he commented.  
  
"That's because Touya told me about you." Instantly, Touko whirled around to stare in shock at a beaming N. "He told me about your mother in Nuvema and how your father left you and..."  
  
"What do you want?" The question flew out of Touko without her permission. She didn't trust N in the slightest, but it didn't make sense for him to know what he knew.  
  
N blinked at her innocently. "I want to take you to Touya of course! He's in the amusement park! Come on! Come come!" He beckoned them forward, and then frowned when the pair stayed where they were. "Aren't you going to come?"  
  
"Why should we trust you?" Jay asked, glaring in warning. "You have no proof that Touya is there."  
  
N's head tilted in confusion, like Koki's did when he was denied a treat. "Why would I lie to you? I don't lie, it's pointless. Humans lie, Pokemon never do." Jay and Touko shared a look at the last statement and the green haired male appeared to lose his patience. "If you don't come, then they'll kill Touya you know."  
  
" ** _WHAT?!_** " The question flew out of both of them in unison and N frowned.  
  
"They'll kill Touya. Weren't you listening?" Touko's gut twisted and she gave Jay a pleading look. Scowling, Jay gave a jerky nod and N beamed. "Excellent! They'll be by the ferris wheel, so we should hurry!" Eagerly, N raced off with Jay and Touko reluctantly following. He flew past the unmanned ticket station and guided the pair through the surprisingly deserted park all the way to the foot of the ferris wheel, where a group of familiar figures in metal costumes stood. One of them was holding Touya's hands behind his back while another held a knife to his throat. "See, Touya is here. I told you I don't lie."  
  
"Touya!" Touko nearly raced forward, only to be stopped not only by Jay's hand on her arm, but the Team Plasma grunt inching the knife closer to her brother's throat. "Let him go!"  
  
The group snickered as N stared at her in legitimate confusion. "Why? We haven't gone on the ferris wheel yet." Touko stared in shock and N stared up at the ride with a wild grin. "I love Ferris wheels. The circular motion… The mechanics… They're like collections of elegant formulas."  
  
"I'm not going anywhere with you. Let my brother go now!" Touko dropped her hand to her belt, releasing Hiroshi. The Dewott glanced around, only to start chattering in shock when he spotted Touya.  
  
"Touko, just listen to him," Touya hissed as the blade nicked at his neck. "You know, as the guy who could get stabbed in the neck here? Just a recommendation."  
  
N frowned. "You won't come with me?" He gave a sad sigh and waved a hand forward. "I suppose you require more incentive."  
  
"HEY!" A second group of Plasma grunts suddenly grabbed Jay. The Kanto native snarled, but stilled when one of them drew their own knife from their belt.  
  
"If you continue to refuse, one of them will be killed," N stated serenely. "If that fails to convince you, then the other will fall as well. Now?" He held out a hand as the door to the ferris wheel cart opened. "Will you join me?"  
  
"Don't do it Touko!" Jay yelled. "Don't trust him!" Touko bit her lip and stared for a few seconds before glancing down at Hiroshi. The blue Pokemon gave her a firm nod.   
  
"You _will_ release both of them if I go on that ferris wheel with you? And you won't take me hostage instead?"  
  
N blinked and nodded. "Of course! You have my word."  
  
"Hiroshi will stay out of his ball while we're on there. If you touch me, you'll lose a finger," Touko warned as Hiroshi sliced his scalchops through the air.  
  
"Agreed." He gave a slight bow and Touko slowly entered the cart. Hiroshi immediately scrambled in after her and crawled into her lap as N took the seat on the opposite side. The door closed and the ride slowly began moving. N watched her, smiling softly. "First I must tell you I am the king of Team Plasma. Ghetsis asked me to work with him to save Pokémon."  
  
Maybe it was stupid, but the first thing to pop into her head at that statement was _Team Plasma is a monarchy?_ But instead, Touko stared angrily at the male in silence. She might have to sit on this ride with him, but that didn't mean she had to talk. Unfortunately, her defiance appeared to amuse the man. "Of course, a king needs heirs. I have been watching you, you know." To her shock, he casually pushed on the window so that a pane of glass popped out and whistled. A nearby Pidove broke off from its flock to flutter in and be stroked by a gentle hand. "You are strong and clever. You will give me strong children."  
  
"I haven't agreed to any of this," Touko hissed out through gritted teeth. "I won't be having any children with you." Hiroshi growled and tightened his grip on his scalchops. N just watched her in amusement.  
  
"Such fire, such passion. We will breed strong future kings. Ones that protect all Pokemon from humans." Hiroshi snarled something at N, which made him chuckle. "You inspire such loyalty and love in Pokemon. That is how I knew you were the one."  
  
"I am not the one," Touko glared, internally sighing with relief as the cart approached the ground and slid to a stop. "You've had your ride, now this is over." The door slid open and Touko quickly jumped off. N followed more leisurely, staring at her with an unnerving and fond look. "There. Now let them go."  
  
The green haired male gave a sigh and whistled once more. This time, a Sandile came crawling out of a nearby sandpit while a Darumaka hopped out from behind a gaming booth. A Scraggy slid out from a bush and a Sigilyph fluttered down to hover behind N menacingly. "I had hoped you could be reasoned with. It seems that force will be necessary after all." With a casual jerk of his head, the Pokemon launched themselves at Touko.  
  
"You're insane!" Touko yelped, diving for cover as Hiroshi leaped into action. The Dewott fired off a Water Pulse, knocking the Darumaka out of the air as he flipped into a Razor Shell onto the Sandile's head. Unfortunately, this left him wide open for the Scraggy to bring a fist straight into Hiroshi's side, causing him to scream in pain as he went flying into a trash can. "Hiroshi!"  
  
"Such brutality," N sighed sadly as the Scraggy snickered and dove for the Dewott once more. But blinding flashes of red light appeared, and the Brick Break instead hit Yume, now a Musharna who gazed at the part Fighting type with an unimpressed look. Koki growled and tackled the Pokemon into the ground as Shun easily paralyzed the Sigilyph so Kei could take it out with a well-aimed Smack Down. Kenta stood protectively in front of Touko, waiting for other threats to appear. But instead, N just laughed in childlike delight. "Oh, well done! Not a word or a demand, yet they fight for you! Such is their love."  
  
Touko stared at the cackling man in dismay, torn between a desire to punch him again and the desire to keep Jay and Touya safe. But Hiroshi's whimper of pain made her decision and she dove for her starter to cradle him gently in her arms. "It's over, N. Let Touya and Jay go now or I won't stop them." Her Pokemon all eyed N and the grunts warily.  
  
To her surprise, N gave a nod. "In honor of your victory." He lifted a hand and the knives were put away. Jay instant rushed to Touko's side to examine the still whimpering Hiroshi.  
  
"It's bad, but the Pokemon Center should be able to treat him. He'll be safer in his ball." Instantly Touko recalled her starter, grateful that it wouldn't make things worse. Jay scowled at N. "What the hell was that?"  
  
But N just smiled at them. "Touko, you will stand at my side as Team Plasma's Queen. I will stand with Zekrom and you with Reshiram and together, we will free all Pokemon from the yoke of oppression."  
  
"Why would I do that? I'd never join you!" Touko snarled. N shook his head.  
  
"Of course you will." To her shock and dismay, Touya strode over to N and stood at his side. The male stroked her brother's face gently. "You will because I have your brother."  
  
"Shit," Jay hissed as Touko just stared in pure shock.  
  
N smiled at the pair. "As your spirit pleases me, I will allow you your freedom. But you will collect the remaining gym badges, recover the stone that houses Reshiram, and meet me at the Pokemon League to claim our kingdom." A gentle hand slid down Touya's back and the boy shivered. "Otherwise, your brother's life is forfeit."  
  
"Touya," Touko whispered as she stared at her brother. "You can't be serious."  
  
Touya merely smiled and lifted a hand to tug at the brim of his cap. "Hail Team Plasma." The air shimmered and all members of Team Plasma vanished, Touya and N included. Koki gave a whine, and all of Touko's Pokemon cuddled around her and Jay as Touko began to cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, this was a longer chapter. But it was one I've had in my head since I've started the story so I'm glad that I got it out. The N battle, was hard. Not because of the Sigilyph, but that Scraggy. My only Pokemon with Fighting moves were Kei and Koki, who were also weak to it, and I forgot that it learns Brick Break this early. I kept getting unlucky with confusion and I definitely would have lost Hiroshi if I hadn't happened to heal the one turn it got a crit. Yume did get sent out to tank a few hits, but thankfully I got through the fight without losing anyone.
> 
> Real battle is below and I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. Leave a like or a review if you did and I'll see you all next time! 👋
> 
> Koki is level 26, everyone else is level 25, and Hiroshi is up front.  
>  Vs. Sandile, male and level 22. Razor Shell OHKO. Hiroshi levels.  
>  Vs. Darumaka, male, and level 22. Water Pulse OHKO.  
>  Vs. Scraggy, male, and level 22. Razor Shell with defense Drop and Swagger. Hits himself and Brick Break. Super Potion and Brick Break crit to 29 HP! So glad I healed! Super Potion again and Brick Break. Hits himself and Brick Break to 7 HP! Swap in Yume and Headbutt. Swap in Koki and Swagger again. Great. Hits himself and Brick Break to 9 HP! Swap back to Yume and Faint Attack which does far less than I thought it would. Super Potion on Hiroshi and Swagger. Swap in Hiroshi and Faint Attack. Water Pulse KO. It’s down.  
>  Vs. Sigilyph, male, and level 22. Psybeam and Smack Down crit OHKO. Nice job, Kei! We’re done.


	16. Chapter 15: The Lost

Blue Oak was a lot of things. He was a prodigy battler, a former Champion (barely), a skilled Gym Leader, and a talented researcher as well. But if there was one thing he _definitely_ wasn't good at, it was comforting people. So when Touko had retreated to their room at the Pokemon Center after Hiroshi was taken to be healed, Blue knew that he would need some help.   
  
And that help just came rushing into the center, Cheren leading the way with Bel hot on his heels. "We got your message. What the hell happened?" the trainer snarled as he strode up to Blue. "Where's Touko?"  
  
Blue reached into his pocket and pulled out his room key. "She's in Room 216. And I think it's better if she tells you herself."  
  
"It's bad then?" Bel asked softly. When the Kanto trainer gave a jerky nod in response, her gaze firmed. "Then we'll be there for her. Thank you for looking after her." She took the key and led Cheren to the small stairwell. As the door closed behind them, Blue sagged against the wall and sighed. He hoped that being with her friends and her Pokemon would help, but Touko had looked broken after Touya had vanished with N and the rest of Team Plasma. And Blue had no idea how to fix it.   
  
"Then focus on what you can fix," he muttered to himself, going over the events at the amusement park. He might not have known Touko for very long, but he knew that she would be trying to obey N's command. For her brother's safety if nothing else. That meant going after the gym badges, and things were only going to get harder from here on out. There was also the highly likely possibility of Touko being followed by Team Plasma, for N to confirm she was following orders. Which meant...  
  
Deciding it was best not to take any risks, Blue walked to the stairwell and stepped underneath the staircase before pulling out his phone. Thankfully, it only took a couple of rings before she picked up. "Well, look who finally remembered to call," Agatha cooed in the tone she only used when extremely annoyed. "I believe that I was promised a call every day, wasn't I?"   
  
Blue winced, he had made that promise. "Sorry Agatha. Things got...busy and I forgot," he apologized. Thankfully, he only received a sigh instead of more scolding.   
  
"Well, you have no excuses next time. You _will_ call me Blue Jay Oak, so that I know you aren't dead in a ditch somewhere." There was a creak as Agatha most likely leaned back in her old chair. "You did the same thing on your first journey so I don't know why I'm surprised. So I assume that you took my advice and are actually enjoying yourself?"   
  
"I was, but something happened," Blue admitted. "Something big, and I need your help."  
  
"What exactly happened, Blue?" Quickly, Blue gave her a short recap of their earlier run-ins with Team Plasma and the events of the amusement park. When he finished, Agatha hissed out a breath. "I know Touko, I met her a few times during my trips to Unova. Bright girl, terrible battler. I take it you'll be staying with her while she fights?"   
  
"She's gotten better as she gets more practice," Blue admitted, lowering his voice as someone came down from the above floor and went into the main lobby. "But Touko doesn't think like a battler does. She'll need a full team revamp if she wants to make it through all eight gyms and I can help with that. But I won't be used as a hostage against her. Not again." He rubbed at his throat, remembering the feeling of cold metal against his skin. "So, you'll send my team over?"   
  
"They'll still have to go through quarantine," Agatha warned, "But I'll talk to Araragi about it, see if we can shorten the time." There was a pause, and then Agatha added, "They've really missed you, Blue."   
  
"I've missed them too," Blue freely admitted. "It'll be good to see them again."   
  
"That's one good thing that came out of this whole mess." There was another creaking noise as Agatha adjusted herself. Blue stiffened, knowing what was to come. "The investigation against you is turning up bumpkiss, of course. We all knew there was nothing to find. But Samuel is still putting pressure for Red to step in."   
  
Blue blinked in shock. "Wait, Red's still in Kanto?" Red hadn't stayed home after one of his travels to other regions for more than a week before. Even after that kid dragged him down from Mount Silver back when they were 13, he'd been off to Hoenn a short 4 days later. At least he bothered to contact his mom that time. "I would have thought he'd left by now."   
  
"That's what I've heard. And those old gossip rags have plenty of pictures of him with his mother, Samuel, Daisy. No dates, of course, but that's what it looks like." Blue chewed his lip silently, trying to ignore the feelings of abandonment making their home in his gut. "He's been moving around for a long time. Maybe he's finally ready to relax."   
  
_Or maybe it's because I'm not in Kanto anymore,_ Blue thought. But he didn't voice it, there were bigger things to worry about. "Maybe. I'd better get going, I need to talk to Touko and see what her plans are."   
  
"Alright, I'll let you go. But I expect a phone call at least one a day, two at the latest," Agatha warned, making Blue smile. "Or a text for Arceus's sake! Just let me know you're not dead in a ditch somewhere."   
  
"I will, I promise." Blue hesitated for a second before going with it. "Agatha, I love you."   
  
There was a silence, and then Agatha replied, her voice soft and fond. "I love you too, Blue. Stay safe, both of you." Blue smiled and nodded, forgetting she couldn't see him until the sound of a dial tone rang in his ears. Sighing, he returned his cell to his pocket and headed up the stairs. It didn't take long to reach the room and knock on the door. To his surprise, it was Cheren's Servine who answered it and let him inside.   
  
The humans were all sitting on the bed. Bel was glued to Touko's left and Cheren sat on her right, one arm wrapped around her shoulder. Touko hastily wiped her eyes as he came in. "How's Hiroshi doing? What did the nurses say?"   
  
"They recommend keeping him under observation for a day or so, but it looks like he'll be alright," Blue answered as he took a seat on the opposite bed. "He was sleeping off the medicine the last I checked." Touko gave a sigh of relief. "You feeling better?"   
  
"...Kinda." She gave him a small smile. "Thanks for calling Bel and Cheren for me."   
  
"You know we're always here for you, Touko," Bel cooed, squeezing Touko in a side-hug. "I can't believe that Touya would do that though. Getting involved with Team Plasma of all people!"   
  
"It might not be completely his choice," Cheren admitted. "You said that there was no one else at the park besides Team Plasma. If it's like what went down at Accumula, they might be holding him hostage mentally with a Psychic type."   
  
"Maybe," Touko whispered, but Blue could guess what she was thinking. Touya's eyes had been clear when the Teleport occurred, not hazy like expected of one under the thrall of a Psychic type. But she didn't refute the claim so Blue let it lie for now. The girl shook her head and looked at Blue. "I guess you finished setting your flight up?"   
  
Blue blinked a few times before the comment sank in. Then, he started getting annoyed. "My...flight? You think I'm just going to fly back of to Kanto? At a time like this?!" He scowled and folded his arms across his chest. "What kind of a guy do you think I am?"   
  
Touko winced. "It's not that. But this isn't your fight, Jay. Touya's my brother, and you shouldn't have to..."   
  
"You're my friend, Touko," Blue cut her off. "If this involves you, then it involves me too. I'm staying and seeing this through, and you won't change my mind about it." He let a smirk slide onto his face as he met the brunette's eyes. "Besides, we both know there's no way that you're getting through the rest of the gyms without me."   
  
"He's got a point," Cheren agreed, only smiling when Touko glared at him. "Sorry, Touko. But you know you're not the best at Pokemon battles."   
  
"You're still better than me though!" Bel comforted, earning a snort from Touko.   
  
"Only because you start calculating the likelyhood of a move doing a certain thing during a battle, Bel," Touko pointed out, making Bel shrug unrepentantly. She reached out a hand and Blue took it, feeling her squeeze it in gratitude. "Thank you Jay, and I'm sorry."   
  
"It's fine. But we need to form a plan for the next gym. It's Electric, right?" Blue looked to Cheren for confirmation and received a short nod in response. "Ok, you have that Sandile, but there should be a few other places nearby where you can get catches. If you're going to do this gym challenge, you'll need all the Pokemon you can get." 

* * *

"You sure that this is the only other place for a catch?" Blue asked as they walked through the large grove of trees. Touko nodded and held up the map on her phone.   
  
"Yeah. Lostlorn Forest should be it since I got catches on Routes 5 and 16. The Driftveil Bridge is currently up and I'd have to go all the way through the city for another encounter, and Marvelous Bridge is shut down so they can do some repairs." She tapped the small forest on the map. "This is the last spot."   
  
Blue glanced around, taking a quick note of the various tracks he saw, and sighed. "Looks like it's a lot of Bug and Grass types. Not the best option for a part Flying type. Can't believe those things actually exist," he grumbled, making Touko laugh.   
  
"Yeah, I thought you were going to throw a fit when Cheren mentioned the Emolga that Kamitsure uses."  
  
Blue sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Just means a strategy change, I guess. But I wish it was one we didn't have to deal with." Something caught his eye, and he turned with a frown to examine a large black mark on a tree. It was almost like a burn. "Touko, are there supposed to be any Fire types in the area?"   
  
"Hmm?" Touko glanced up from the Pokeball she had tossed at a Venipede and frowned. "There are a few Pansear around, but they wouldn't make a mark that big." She thought for a few seconds before pulling her Pokedex out of her bag. "There aren't too many Fire types that could leave a mark like that, especially not in this part of Unova. But I think I've seen that somewhere before."   
  
As Touko scrolled through her dex, a loud huffing reached Blue's ears. Loud, aggressive huffing like a Pokemon was psyching itself up for a sprint. "Touko, move!"   
  
"Huh?" As the girl glanced up, there was a roar and a huge orange and black Pokemon cloaked in fire came charging out of the brush. Blue grabbed Touko's arm and yanked her out of the way, sending the pair sprawling as the Pokemon skidded to a halt and snorted aggressively. Her eyes widened at the sight. "Wait, that's..."   
  
"Touko, we need to get out of here," Blue warned, trying to haul the girl to her feet as the Pokemon pawed the ground. Instead of following his lead, Touko shook him off and strode over to the angry Fire Type. "Touko!"   
  
"Hey boy," the soft whisper made both boy and Pokemon pause. Cautiously, Touko stepped closer, a hand held up to stroke his face. "Is that you? Do you remember me, Unchi?" There was a flash of recognition and the Fire type let out a whine before pressing his head against Touko's palm. "Oh Unchi, what happened to you?"   
  
The name rang a faint bell in Blue's mind as he took a step forward. Unchi grunted, but Touko soothed him enough that Blue could get closer. "Unchi. That sounds familiar."   
  
"My brother's starter," Touko explained with a sad smile. She tapped the right side of the Pokemon's face, where a pale scar could be seen. "Hiro left that on him during a mock battle when I was eleven. The center was shut down for a while so it never fully healed. It's how I recognized him."   
  
Instantly, Blue put it together. "He released him. Either Plasma made him do it or it was his own choice, but Touya released his Pokemon." Touko nodded and Unchi whined again.   
  
"He's waiting for Touya to come back," the girl whispered as she rubbed the Pokemon's head. "Waiting long enough that you evolved into Emboar." She briefly kissed Unchi's forehead. "Unchi, I'm sorry."   
  
Blue thought for a few seconds. "If he doesn't have a trainer anymore, you could catch him. If you don't want to use him, then your mom or Araragi could look after him." He glanced around the area once more. "At least if he's the only one still here." Touko looked at him in confusion and Blue hastened to explain. "Aloe said Touya had three Pokemon with him when he first challenged her. It would make sense that he'd catch more, and maybe some of them would stay with Unchi here and wait."   
  
Unchi grunted and started walking back towards the brush he'd charged out of. Exchanging glances, Touko and Jay followed him. It was a short walk, but the trampled path ended at a small cave. There was a Watchog who leered at them from the entrance, but Unchi grunted some more and the Normal type raced in to lead out four more Pokemon. A Duosion hovered cautiously behind a Seismitoad and a Lilligant, with an Excadrill flexing its claws in warning. "His whole team waited for him," Touko whispered, rubbing a hand over her eyes. "Oh Touya, you're such an idiot."   
  
"Plasma's the idiots here," Blue commented. "It isn't Pokeballs that are making them wait." He watched as Unchi appeared to explain their presence to the other Pokemon, who relaxed subtlety. "Think your mom can handle them all?"   
  
"With the professor's help, yeah." Pulling out some Ultra Balls gifted to her by Cheren earlier, Touko stepped forward. "Come on Unchi. Let's get you and your friends home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was around this point that I knew I needed to switch up my team. A lot of the Pokemon I had didn't have the best natures, and some just wouldn't be able to handle the next few gyms and big battles coming up. I had some plans, but I wanted to get my other three catches and revive my fossil before I started swapping and training. There was also the fact that I knew I would be making two teams. One to handle Elesa's gym, and one for the rest of the game.
> 
> But story needed to happen first. Touko and Blue needed to adjust to what had happened, because this isn't a vacation anymore. N has thrown down the gauntlet and now Touko has to get the rest of the gym badges. The scene with Unchi and Touko was also planned for a while. I liked the idea of Touko finding her brother's starter in Lostlorn Forest to show how much Touya has changed from before.
> 
> The Elesa battle will hopefully be next time, so I'll see you then! Leave a like and a review if you enjoyed the update!


	17. Chapter 16: The Turning Point

With Touya's team now safe at the Nuvema Lab under Professor Araragi's watchful eye, it was time to return to the part that Touko had been dreading; selecting a new team. Swallowing, she pulled up her box and started looking over all her catches. "Jay, do you really think you can help me build a team out of this?" she asked Jay, who was leaning against the wall besides the PC. "You've made your opinion of my catches very clear."   
  
"Nature curse aside," Jay began, earning a scoff from the girl, "You have a solid variety. I'm thinking you'll need two teams, one to handle the fourth gym and one for basic traveling. We can look into whether you'll need to swap once we get to specific gyms later on." He waved a hand at the screen. "So, what's the nature on that Sandile you caught?"   
  
Resigning herself to the inevitable, Touko pulled up the data for Daichi. "Hasty, and he's got Moxie too. That could be useful for Kamitsure," she acknowledged. "But he's already pretty frail, and he won't reach his second stage until 29."   
  
"And Cheren said that her ace is 27 for the fourth gym badge," the Kanto gym leader muttered, rubbing a hand under his chin. "We'll put him on standby for this gym battle. What about that Scraggy?"   
  
Touko blinked before turning to stare at the boy in confusion. "You're thinking I should take a Fighting type to a gym where I know there will be Flying types? And when there's a Flying gym coming up down the line?"   
  
"Training isn't only about having a team for the next battle coming up," Jay pointed out. "You have to think long-term. Dark/Fighting is a strong combination and one that covers three of the four types of the Elite 4. So, the nature?" Rolling her eyes, Touko scanned Akio's data and started to giggle.   
  
"He's Hasty with Moxie." Jay stared at her and Touko smirked. "No, I'm not kidding. Akio and Daichi share natures and abilities."   
  
Groaning, Jay buried his face in his hands. "I swear, if this is the beginning of a Hasty nature curse..."   
  
"Hasty isn't that bad. More speed is always a good thing," Touko pointed out. "And Scraggy are strong defensively so it's not as big of a hit as it is for Daichi."   
  
"Only if the Pokemon is strong enough to OHKO," Jay countered. "But it's fine for now. What else is in there?" Quickly the pair made their way through the last 4 Pokemon, with only one other Hasty nature among them. Jay thought for a few minutes before drawing up a list. "Alright, so here's what I think. For the Electric gym, you leave Hiroshi and Akio behind since they'll have type disadvantage. Daichi and Yuma can come on standby. For the battle itself, you use Shun and Koki with Kenta and Kei as backup. Once the battle is done, you can box Kei and Daichi." He handed Touko the small chart he'd drawn up detailing type resistances. "This should give you coverage for most typings with no overlaps."   
  
Biting her lip, the Unovan girl scanned the list. Jay's plan made a lot of sense, but only from a practical standpoint. But on the emotional side, Touko was torn. "But Yume and Kei have been part of the team for a while now. And Akane could come back too."   
  
Jay shook his head. "Akane is stronger than Kenta now, but you know that he'll become much stronger once he hits his stride," he pointed out. "Kei's ability might be good, but her nature would make it easy for you to get caught in a healing loop where you try to keep her at full with no damage being done. That's a battle you can't win." Reluctantly, Touko nodded. "As for Yume, she's going to be relying on weak moves or whatever TMs you can find now. Her current moveset isn't great and Dark types and coverage are incredibly common." He reached out to squeeze Touko's shoulder. "I know it sucks, but you'd rather have them hating you in the box than dying."   
  
Sighing, Touko conceded and unhooked Yume's and Hiroshi's balls from her belt. "Hiro still needs time to rest anyways," she admitted as she placed them on the small control to swap balls. "How often did you end up doing this on your journey?" she asked as the transfer was made.   
  
"...Less than I should have." The flat statement made Touko turn, but the purposefully blank expression on Jay's face kept her from asking anything. Instead, she deliberately retrieved Yuma and Akio's Pokeballs before pulling out her phone.   
  
"Bel grabbed us tickets for a game at the Stadium at 7 tonight," she commented, squinting at the text message. "Either a baseball game or basketball; BB could stand for either. That gives us a few hours to train and maybe we can tackle the gym tomorrow?" She beamed at Jay, and was relieved when he smiled back at her.   
  
"Sounds good. Lostlorn Forest seems like a decent place to train, and I have an idea for how to handle those Emolga." The two headed for the exit when Jay added, "Touko, thanks."   
  
She shot him a smile. "There's nothing to thank me for." 

* * *

"So, you really think we're ready?" Touko asked later that evening as the pair made their way out of the woods. "Maybe a couple more levels?"   
  
"You trust me, right?" Jay responded, earning a reluctant nod from the girl. "Then believe me, you'll be fine. Especially thanks to that Dig TM you got."   
  
"I'm just saying that..." Touko's comment was cut off by the beeping of her phone. She briefly scanned the text from Cheren only to feel the blood drain out of her face. It was only two words, but they could only refer to one person. _He's here. "_ Shit."  
  
"Touko, what-Hey!" Instantly, Touko shot off through the bushes and sprinted towards the entrance to Nimbasa, leaving Jay scrambling to catch up. "Touko, slow down! What's going on?!" Part of Touko felt guilty that she couldn't stop to explain, but the majority of her focus was on one thing, getting to Cheren as fast as possible. Hopefully, he'd keep Bel safe until she got there and they could plan their next move.   
  
Unfortunately, luck wasn't on their side. As Touko entered the main city with Jay a few feet behind her, she caught sight of the large crowd forming in front of Nimbasa Stadium. Stomach in her throat, the Unovan girl pushed and dodged her way through the crowd until she reached the front. Cheren was standing protectively in front of Bel, his Servine and Liepard glaring angrily at the older man in the business suit staring flatly at them. "I've said it once and I'll say it again. Bel is staying with us." Cheren growled.   
  
Ichirou Shirai gave a hearty sigh and opened a small pocketwatch to check the time. "Our flight back to Nuvema Town leaves in a hour. This farce has gone on for long enough." He frowned at Bel, making the blonde flinch. "We will discuss your **_punishment_** on our way there."   
  
"You have no right to take her back to Nuvema," Touko snarled, breaking free of the crowd and moving to stand at Cheren's side. "She's 16 and the law protects her right to taking a Pokemon journey. Shouldn't you know this, _sir?"_ There was a flash of red light and Koki, still dirty from the day's battling, appeared at her side in a crouch, growling protectively.  
  
While his face relaxed into a friendly smile, Shirai's eyes only held a furious disdain. "Ah, Ms. **Sasaki**. I suppose I'm not surprised to find you here. You've always been a poor influence on my daughter." His eyes flickered to Cheren. "Though better than _this_ one, of course."   
  
She felt Cheren flinch and quickly reached out to squeeze his hand. "Your opinion has been noted and ignored," Touko replied, trying to remain calm. If she lost control, she knew that Shirai would have no hesitation over twisting her actions to make her and Cheren the bad guys. It was his job after all, he had years of practice. "Now if you don't mind, we have places to be."   
  
"A father has every right to assure himself of his daughter's wellbeing," Shirai pointed out smoothly. "To make sure that she isn't consorting with the wrong crowd." His eyes lazily drifted over Touko and Cheren, showing his opinion without saying a word. "Bel, come here now."   
  
To Touko's surprise, Bel did step forward. But only to stand with Cheren and Touko and grip their hands in hers. "Father, I...I won't be coming home. I want to...no. I will be continuing my journey." Feeling her friend's hand shaking, Touko gripped it all the tighter to show her support. "I'm sorry you had to come all this way, but I won't go with you."   
  
Shirai sighed and shook his head, the picture of the long-suffering father dealing with his willful daughter. "Oh Bel. What nonsense have these people put into your head? Clearly I should have been more dilligent in ensuring your social connections."   
  
"Social... Cheren and Touko are my friends! They aren't connections!" Bel gasped.   
  
"Friends." Shirai snorted in genuine amusement. "You believe that these people are worthy of friendship? This one," he nodded towards Touko. "Her own father left so clearly there's something wrong with the mother. And no doubt the daughter takes after her."   
  
_" **What** did you say about my mom?" _Touko snarled furiously. Koki's growls grew louder and his tail lashed back and forth, as though ready to pounce.  
  
But Shirai ignored her as his gaze fell on Cheren. "And this one is just a girl convinced that she's a boy. Delusional at best, and her parents weak enough to encourage her." He sighed and reached into his pocket. "I have the number for some skilled psychologists if they realize their mistake and hope to correct it."   
  
The crowd surrounding them started to mutter to themselves as Cheren started shaking. "You don't know a damn thing about me!" he growled. "I'm male, even if I was born in the wrong body. It's not a mistake and I sure as hell don't need correcting."   
  
"Come now, Haruku," Shirai rolled his eyes. "Such language is unbecoming of a la-" _**SLAP!!!**_ Everyone stared in shock at Bel, who had pulled away from her friends and slapped her father in the face. Lifting a hand to now reddening cheek, he glared down at Bel. "Bel..."   
  
Panting, Bel shook her head. "Don't you 'Bel' me! I'm sick of it. I'm sick of just sitting in silence while you say horrible things about the people I care about and who actually care about me! I'm done! I'm done with nodding along and pretending I don't care when you spout your lies. Stop talking to me, stop looking for me, and for Arceus's sake, **_STOP DEADNAMING CHEREN!_** "   
  
The sound of clapping echoed through the air as the crowd parted so a tall woman could stride over. A Zebstrika with a battle scar over one eye slowly walked after her. "Well said, darling," Kamitsure cooed. "If there's one thing that allows evil to succeed, it's for good people to do nothing." She side-eyed the crowd, and quite a few people immediately put away their phones. "Now, what appears to be the trouble here?"   
  
Shirai smirked, clearly believing he had the upper hand once more. "Ms. Kamitsure, my daughter is..."   
  
"Oh, I wasn't asking you," the gym leader corrected. "I find it best to avoid speaking to assholes. You," she pointed to a random person in the crowd, a girl with electric green hair worn in a shaggy bob. "What happened?"   
  
"Um, the...he tried to grab the blonde girl and drag her away from the stadium and this guy," she pointed to Cheren, "tried to step in. And then they started arguing and a crowd formed and that girl showed up and..."   
  
"Stop." Instantly, the girl shut up and Kamitsure rolled her eyes. "Clearly, only a few of you will be helpful. You three," she pointed at Touko, Cheren and Bel, "will meet me at the gym in half an hour. You, follow me." Without even checking to make sure he would obey, Kamitsure strode off. Clearly reluctant, Shirai followed, but not without sending a glare back at the trio. As the crowd dispersed, Touko hurried over to Bel and grabbed her hand once more.   
  
"Bel, that was amazing! I can't believe you hit him!" she cheered. Bel gave her a shaky smile in return, beginning to tremble. "Bel, you were so brave."   
  
"I just, I was sick of how he talked about you two," the blonde whispered. "He always said such _awful_ things and I..." A few tears started spilling from her eyes. "I'm sorry I never stopped him sooner. I should have."   
  
Cheren instantly wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "You said it now. And it was more than enough. Honestly, I'm just glad I was here to see it." Bel gave a watery laugh. Cheren then glanced at Touko and frowned. "If we're going to be speaking with Kamitsure later, then you might be able to get your gym battle done now. Are you prepared?"   
  
"I..." That's when Touko remembered Jay. Glancing over her shoulder, she spotted him waiting on the edge of the crowd, clearly unsure whether to approach or not. Part of her felt guilty for ditching him, but the rest was furious at how he apparently stood by while all this was going on. But that wasn't important now. Swallowing down her rage, she turned and gave her friends a cold smile. "Guess I'll have to be, won't I?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, my next three catches after Kenta were all Hasty, and two of them had Moxie. The other one with Hasty was my Archen, Asuka. I also caught an Impish Minccino named Hiroka, a Naughty Venipede named Shido, and a Gentle Gothita I named Yuma. Yuma means gentle, so that was a bit ironic.
> 
> Nimbasa is usually where I start setting up my final team in Black/White, because that's where the game really begins to open up. I went with this team for Elesa since she can be hard, but I'm not too worried because I have a Lightning Rod Zebstrika now. Really makes dealing with the Emolga that much easier. But the gym battle will be coming in next time, as well as Blue's thoughts on that whole fiasco.
> 
> The Cheren situation was one I alluded to earlier. It was sort of a headcannon I always had, sparked by the early rumors of the game where people thought Cheren was a girl when they first saw his sprite. I wonder how many of you figured it out, let me know in the comments. Leave a like and a review if you enjoyed and I'll see you all next time!


	18. Chapter 17: The Apology

Blue hated this. It had been maybe twenty minutes since Kamitsure had lead Bel's father away and the four travelers had returned to the Pokemon gym to wait. Bel was sitting with Cheren at a small table in the corner, the boy whispering reassurances to her while she stared at an untouched cup of tea. Touko was talking with the nurse on duty, confirming that her Pokemon were battle-ready after the intense training they'd gone through, as well as handling the transport of her brother's team to Professor Araragi's care. That left Blue, leaning against a wall and unsure of what to say.  
  
He knew that Touko wasn't too happy with him right now. The brunette had been ignoring his admittedly weak attempts to talk, which was honestly a first. Blue couldn't completely blame her though, not when he was just as angry with himself. Not only about just standing there while the trio had handled the situation, but for how he felt at the time.  
  
The strongest emotion that had welled up in his gut during that whole fiasco wasn't rage or pity. It was pure envy. Envy that Bel had people who would stand with her against her father's efforts to tear her down into nothing. That she had a support system outside of family to help her. That she wasn't alone, not like Blue had been. Which was selfish and awful because the blonde's situation was so much worse than Blue's had been. Her father was cruel; Professor Oak just...didn't care.

* * *

_"Summer's here!" The door to the old house slammed open as Blue rushed in, dumping his bags on the floor and jumping around in excitement. "No school! No school!"  
  
"Put your stuff away, Blue," Daisy scolded as she removed her shoes at the door. "You leave it scattered around like that, someone's going to trip over it." Blue stuck out his tongue at her, but went to retrieve his things. Sighing, Daisy ran a hand through her long brown hair and gazed fondly at her six year old brother. "What am I going to do with you?"   
  
"Done!" By done, he meant that his school supplies had been shoved into the nearest closet and the door closed, but it was close enough in Blue's mind. "Bye Daisy! Gramps said that he'd let me watch him work after school!" Completely unaware of how his sister paled at the announcement, Blue dashed off, waving cheerfully at Red before he reached the sleek silver building his grandfather spent his days at. He bobbed in place as the doors slowly slid open before he raced inside. "Gramps! I'm here! Whatcha working on today?"   
  
With a long suffering sigh, Samuel Oak looked up from the sample he was studying under a microscope. "Blue, what are you doing?"   
  
The bright smile faded slightly under Oak's stare, and Blue awkwardly shuffled his feet. "You promised that I could work in the lab with you after school today. Since it's summer, you know?"   
  
"I don't recall making any sort of promise. You **must** stop coming up with these outlandish stories." Considering the matter dismissed, Oak turned back to his research. "Now go back home and mind your sister."   
  
"But...but you promised!" Blue protested, little hands tightening into fists at his sides. "I asked you at breakfast and you said that..."   
  
" **Blue Jay Oak.** " The sound of his full name stunned the boy into silence, staring up at his grandfather with a mixture of anger and fear. "I am in the middle of very important research, a potential discovery that could change the lives of everyone on this planet. I will not be able to do this if you are in the lab, interrupting me with inane questions at every turn." Oak ran a hand over his tired face. "Are you trying to tell me that your wants are more important than any one else on this earth?"   
  
"...No," Blue muttered at his shoes, shoulders hunched and almost curling in around himself.   
  
Oak gave a short nod. "Quite right. Now, go home, Blue. We will be discussing your punishment later." The sound of footsteps made them turn to see Daisy rushing in as well. "And you will be punished as well, Daisy. It is your job to look after your brother and make sure I can continue my research."   
  
Barely concealing a flinch, Daisy bowed her head before grabbing Blue's arm. "Yes, sir. I'm sorry, sir." Quickly she began dragging Blue away as Oak began peering at his microscope once more. "Thanks Blue. This is all your fault." The whispered scolding made him feel worse, so Blue just stared at his feet as they made their way slowly back home._

* * *

"Um, it's time to go." Blue jumped at the sudden voice tearing through his memories and Cheren laughed awkwardly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."  
  
Blue quickly waved it off. "It's fine, I'm fine." He glanced over the bespectacled boy's shoulder to see their former table empty and the front desk abandoned. "Touko and Bel leave already?"  
  
"They should be waiting outside for us," Cheren explained, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I...wanted to talk to you. About...about what Bel's father said. About me."  
  
 _Oh._ Blue frowned and shook his head. "Nothing's changed really. All that whole scene did was prove that he's an asshole, which I had already figured out." Hoping that he was handling this correctly, he placed a hand on Cheren's shoulder and squeezed it. "You're still the same guy I met at Araragi's lab, Cheren."  
  
The tension instantly leaked out of the boy's body and he gave an exhausted and relieved laugh. "Thank you. It's just that people can get...weird sometimes about it. I've had..." He shrugged. "People can be assholes sometimes."  
  
"Yeah, they can be," Blue agreed as he followed Cheren out of the center. Like the black-haired boy had said, Touko and Bel were waiting for them. The brunette briefly scanned Cheren's face before nodding, clearly liking what she saw. The four started walking towards the gym when a question occurred to Blue. "So, will you be battling Kamitsure too, Cheren?"  
  
The boy shook his head. "It's far more important that Touko gets the badges and beats the League, for Touya's safety if nothing else," he stated, dropping a hand to rub the balls on his belt. "I have time; the League itself isn't going anywhere. Though I'll be looking into getting the badges anyway while I'm here."  
  
"In any case, it'll be good to have some backup at the League in case something goes wrong," Touko added, glancing over her shoulder. "I know Cheren will have my back and maybe you'll be able to talk some sense into my brother, Cher."  
  
"Can't I just punch him instead?"  
  
"No, why would you punch Touya?" Bel asked in clear confusion. "He's confused right now, but you shouldn't hit him!"  
  
"It wouldn't be the first time," Cheren countered. "I've punched Touya many times."  
  
"As his sister, I can confirm that my brother does stupid things sometimes and probably deserves to be hit," Touko added, a cheeky grin on her face as Bel glanced helplessly from her to Cheren. "We're teasing Bel. Cher wouldn't punch Touya right now."  
  
"If you say so," came the quick reply, earning a snicker from Blue. The three continued to bicker, and the envy slowly began building up again as Blue hastily attempted to quash it. Thankfully, they quickly arrived at the gym where Kamitsure stood outside waiting for them. Cheren bowed smoothly to her. "Gym Leader Kamitsure."  
  
Sighing, Kamitsure glanced from face to face, lingering on Blue's for a hot second. "Are you here for information or will one of you be challenging the gym?"  
  
Blue blinked and exchanged shocked glances with Touko. Bel was gaping and even Cheren was looking up. "I...I would, but what about Shirai? Weren't you supposed to talk to us about everything?" Touko asked cautiously.  
  
"Oh, that?" Kamitsure smiled and shrugged. "He's already been arrested. Allegedly for disturbing the peace, but only because misogyny and transphobia fall under stupidity and you can't arrest someone for that yet." She flicked at one of the long black tendrils falling from her headband. "Odds are he'll make bail pretty quickly, but if you want to press charges against him, then we can probably keep him in a cell for a bit. Maybe longer if we get a judge who dislikes the show."  
  
"Show?" Blue asked. Kamitsure gave him an odd look and Blue hastened to explain. "Look, I'm from Kanto and I don't watch much TV."  
  
"Ah." The confusion quickly cleared. "Shirai is the host of a talk show that's mostly gossip and trash talk against people he dislikes. Has a lot of hate for women in general, anyone LGBTQ really, non-Unovans, et cetera, et cetera." Blue grimaced and Kamitsure nodded. "Yeah, and that earns him a lot of dislike. But he gets people to watch him. Maybe we can change that with a pic of him in prison orange." A cruel smile slid onto her face. "That is, if you want to press charges."  
  
"I will," Cheren agreed instantly, Touko nodding as well. Then they both looked at Bel, who was biting her lower lip. "Bel?"  
  
"I...I'll do it. I don't want to live with it anymore." Bel whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. "I've been quiet for so long. I want to be better." Kamitsure stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.  
  
"That's very brave of you, sweetheart." She smiled at the sniffling girl before turning to Touko. "How about I get these two set up, then we can battle before you start with yours."  
  
"I'll stay with Touko," Blue quickly interrupted, earning a curious look from Touko. "We need to talk, I think."  
  
"...Alright." Touko agreed. Kamitsure nodded before ushering Cheren and Bel into the gym. Once they were gone, Touko folded her arms across her chest. "So, you want to talk?"  
  
Blue fought the urge to fidget under her stare. "Do you want me to stop traveling with you?"  
  
The question was clearly out of the blue for her because Touko's arms dropped as she gaped at him. "Jay, what are you talking about?"  
  
"I'm not an idiot, Touko. I know that you're mad at me. You right to be," he admitted. "And if that means you'd rather I go with Cheren or Bel and we'd meet up before a gym battle to..."  
  
"Just because I'm mad doesn't mean that we can't stay together!" Touko pointed out, before sighing and pressing a hand to her forehead. "And you don't really deserve it anyways. I'm trying to work past it, I just need more time than half an hour."  
  
"But I just hid in the crowd while you were fighting with Bel's father," Blue pointed out.  
  
"And that's mostly my fault!" Touko shot back. "You asked about Bel's father before and I shot you down, and I was the one who ditched you the second I got Cheren's text. I..." She paused to take a breath and reorganize her thoughts. "I can't blame you for not getting involved in a situation I deliberately kept you out of. I get that in my head. The rest of me just needs to catch up."  
  
Blue flicked his tongue against his teeth, processing. "I'm sorry though. I should have at least tried."  
  
"I'm sorry too," Touko apologized with a smile. "Friends?"  
  
"Yeah, friends." Blue smiled back, before the pair jumped at the clapping from behind them.  
  
"Aw, that was cute," Kamitsure cooed. "Nothing like reconciliation to bring the warm fuzzies. So," she lightly tossed a Pokeball up and down. "Are you ready for the battle?"  
  
Touko and Blue exchanged glances before grinning in unison. "Bring it on," Touko said as they followed her inside to the battlefield.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we got another flashback and Touko and Blue made up! :sun: I considered writing out the gym battle here, but other than Koki getting into the red before beating Elesa's Zebstrika, nothing really happened in the battle. Not in story, and not in the gym either. That's the thing about Elesa, having a Zebstrika of your own makes fighting the Emolga so much easier since they can't Volt Switch out and that essentially takes away her gimmick. Daichi didn't even get to fight, meaning I never actually used him. Poor guy; I really like the Sandile line too. So I'll just post the notes below and the next chapter will pick up after the battle? Good? Good. Anyways, leave a like and a review if you enjoyed the update and I'll see you guys next time! 👋
> 
> Ok, time for Elesa. Daichi is level 26, Yuma is level 22, and everyone else is level 27. Shun is up front. Yuma is holding the Exp Share.
> 
> Vs. Emolga, male, and level 25. Shock Wave and Pursuit. Shock Wave KO. Yuma levels up.  
>  Vs. Zebstrika, male, and level 27. Sending in Koki holding the Amulet Coin. Spark from 74-43 and Dig. Volt Switch miss and Dig. Spark to 9 HP and Dig. Quick Attack miss and Dig KO. Oh, that was close.  
>  Vs. Emolga, female, and level 25. Shock Wave and Pursuit. Shock Wave to 1 HP and Aerial Ace crit. Still in the green though. Hyper Potion and Shock Wave. Shock Wave KO. Win. Yuma hits level 24 and learns Faint Attack over Double Slap.


	19. Chapter 18: The Champion

"I am both really glad that you had an easy time at the gym and _incredibly_ jealous," Cheren complained as he and Touko compared their badge cases. Thankfully Pokemon centers, and their complementary cafes, were open 24/7. "Volt Switch is a move I now _loathe."_  
  
"I still think your battle with her was more impressive, Cher," Touko commented as she returned the case to her bag. Unlike Cheren's carefully polished set of badges, hers were looking a bit less shiny. Other than the Bolt Badge, of course. "You had no easy counters to her except for Neko."   
  
The black haired boy grunted in acknowledgement before glancing around. His voice lowered, Cheren whispered, "Any news about Touya?" Touko shook her head, earning her a look of bafflement. "Really? I thought they would try to contact you after you got this badge. Offer a reward or something for following their instructions."   
  
"Guess I'm going to have to take it on faith," the girl muttered, running a hand through her ponytail. "Jay and I will be heading out of town early tomorrow. Yakon's up next, right?" At Cheren's nod, she gave a sigh. "Well, at least Hiro will have fun with that fight. Will you be staying in Nimbasa?"   
  
Cheren shook his head. "No, but I will if Bel asks us. She got a call from her mom, she'll be coming up tomorrow." The pair was silent, thinking about the timid woman with the tired eyes. "If she posts his bail..."   
  
"We'll deal with it," the Unovan girl declared, shutting the conversation down. "We always do. And the reports will be filed, no matter how much money he throws at the system. He won't be sweeping this under the rug." Glancing at the wall clock, she grimaced and pushed back from the table. "I'm heading up for the night. If you want to come with us, we'll be at the gate to Route 5 around 8."   
  
"We'll see," Cheren said dryly as Touko made her way for the stairs. It was a short walk up to the rented room and Touko rolled her eyes at the light shining from under the door. Jay had pleaded exhaustion before heading upstairs while Touko waited for Cheren, but it didn't look like he was getting much sleep.   
  
Pondering for a few seconds, she discarded the jump-scare and just used her key. It was surprising enough as Jay jolted as she entered the room, nearly tossing his book into his face as he fumbled to remove his...glasses? "Did I know you had glasses?" Touko asked with a frown as she took a seat on the unclaimed bed. "I feel like that should be something I knew."   
  
Jay's cheeks flushed a dull red as he set the square frames on the nightstand. "I usually wear contacts and we've been in separate rooms most of the time," he mumbled.   
  
Confused and a little amused, Touko tilted her head. "Cheren wears glasses, as you already know. So does Bel, though only for reading. I'm clearly not nelophobic or matogyaliaphobic so why keep it a secret?" She bent her head to try and catch Jay's eye and smiled up at him. "It doesn't change anything."   
  
"...Glasses don't present the right image," the Kanto gym leader muttered, turning to stare at the curtain-covered window. "Glasses mean your eyes don't work, so you're not perfect. Gramps..." he trailed off and shook his head. "Doesn't matter. I prefer contacts anyways."   
  
With another reason added to her rapidly growing 'reasons to punch Professor Samuel Oak in the dick if I ever meet him in person' list, Touko picked up Jay's glasses and joined him on his bed. She could feel him eyeing her warily as she examined the frames. "If you prefer contacts, that's perfectly fine. But that shouldn't stop you from wearing your glasses if you want to." She slid them back onto Jay's face, smiling as the blush returned to his cheeks. "Besides, I think it's a good look for you. Very intellectual."   
  
"...You're one of those people with perfect eyesight, aren't you?" The grumbled question made Touko laugh.   
  
"Yup, 20-20. My optometrist adores me." Jay glared at her before joining in her laughter. "I'd better get ready for bed since we're leaving early tomorrow. Oh, Cheren might be joining us at Route 5," Touko added as she dug her pajamas out of her bag. Jay grunted, reaching down to pick up his book again and grimacing at the creases in the pages. "Just don't stay up too late, alright?"   
  
"No promises," Jay replied, making Touko grin as she entered the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

* * *

"I told you both, I'll be fine," Bel protested. "Now that Kamitsure convinced my mom to press charges too then..."   
  
"All the more reason we should stay," Touko pointed out. It had been a surprise when Bel had arrived at the gate to Route 5 alongside Cheren, but Touko was glad she had the chance to talk to Bel face-to-face. "Bel, this isn't the first time your mom has talked about going to the police."   
  
"We want to support you, Bel," Cheren added as he folded his arms across his chest. "Especially if that means jail time for him."  
  
Bel shook her head, knuckles white as she gripped the strap of her bag. "But there are bigger things happening right now. More important things." Cheren and Touko instantly opened their mouths to protest, but Bel shook her head. "You know what I mean. Touko, Touya is in trouble. And Team Plasma...they could really hurt him. Dealing with my...my father could take months, and you don't have that time."   
  
Touko grimaced, hating that Bel was right. "That doesn't mean that Cheren can't stay though."   
  
"If something does happen, Cheren can be there to help you," the blonde countered. "I'm not a good battler, but Cheren is." Tears welled up in her eyes and Bel quickly blinked them away. "I'll be fine. Kamitsure will be helping and Professor Araragi is coming up to offer her support. I'll be fine. You don't have to worry about me."   
  
Desperate, Touko turned to Jay with a plea in her eyes. The Kanto gym leader awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "If you want to stay, we can stay. But I think Bel is right. Team Plasma probably won't appreciate what they'll see as stalling."   
  
Sighing, Touko let the anger fade and stepped forward to wrap Bel in a tight hug. "If _anything_ goes wrong, call and we'll come rushing back," she promised. Bel squeezed her back before stepping away to return Cheren's own embrace.   
  
"Even if nothing goes wrong, call us every day with updates," he commanded.   
  
"Even if it's sports stats based on their most recent games?" the blonde asked impishly.  
  
"...Even then." Cheren stepped back to join Jay and Touko, and the trio waved at Bel before stepping through the gate. Once she was out of earshot, the black-haired boy asked, "She'll be alright?"   
  
Touko hummed in reply. "Bel's stronger than she seems. She'll get through it."   
  
"Ah, there you are!" A new voice boomed out as a tall older gentleman with hair like wildfire and dressed in a loose poncho came striding over. "I have been waiting for you."   
  
Touko turned at Jay's hissed-in breath to see his face had gone pale. But that was mostly covered by the delighted squeal of Cheren. " _Champion Adeku!_ Oh my Arceus, I never expected to meet you here! I thought..." Cheren began rummaging through his bag before pulling out a pen and a slightly squished notepad. "Could I have your autograph?"   
  
Chuckling warmly, Adeku scrawled out his name. Touko used the distraction to step closer to Jay and whisper, "You alright?"   
  
"He knows me," came the equally quiet reply, making Touko's eyes widen. Unfortunately, they had no more time to talk as Adeku handed Cheren back his paper and pen before clapping his hands together.   
  
"So, shall we be off?" His eyes danced from Cheren to Touko, only to pause as he looked at Jay's face. The smile faded slightly as the Champion of Unova and the former Champion of Kanto stared at each other.  
  
"Um, Champion Adeku?" Touko quickly stepped between the pair, hoping to draw the older trainer's attention. "What exactly are you doing here? Normally, the League doesn't take much interest in trainers, especially not the champion."   
  
Thankfully, her ploy appeared to work as Adeku dropped his gaze to her. "Two reasons, actually. One is that after trainers receive the Bolt Badge, Kamitsure usually has to let the people in Driftveil know to lower the bridge." He pointed at the large red drawbridge behind him, currently lifted to allow cargo-ships to pass through. "Second, I heard that you had some run-ins with Team Plasma." The smile faded to a stern look. "And the Pokemon League is taking that very seriously. So, two Pidove, one Rock Throw."  
  
Touko and Jay exchanged glances as Cheren frowned. "So this is something the League is looking into?" Cheren asked, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Not just the police?"   
  
"Team Plasma has a lot of focus on trainers and training Pokemon as a whole," Adeku explained as the four began to walk towards the bridge. "Naturally, the League is taking an interest. In theory, their cooperation is a good thing." A small breeze picked up, making the Pokeballs the man wore around his neck clank together. "But there have been too many reports of theft and harassment to push aside. So," Adeku tilted his head towards Touko. "Mind explaining just what their interest is in you, Touko Sasaki?"   
  
At Jay's shrug and Cheren's nod, Touko gave a short run-through of all her encounters with Team Plasma and N, finishing up with their Nimbasa encounter. "So he wants me to fight him at the Pokemon League after summoning _Reshiram_ of all things," Touko concluded with a shake of her head. "Otherwise, he'll kill Touya."   
  
Blowing out a breath, Adeku looked at Cheren and Touko. "What about you gentlemen? Thoughts?"   
  
"Team Plasma should absolutely get shut down," Cheren immediately answered. "First those thefts, and now this threat to Touko and Touya. They're dangerous and we should end this as soon as possible."   
  
Adeku nodded before looking at Jay. "And you?" he asked quietly.  
  
Jay was quiet for a few seconds before replying. "Cheren is right, Team Plasma is dangerous. Moreso to Touko since N appears to be fixated on her, and Team Plasma seems to be following his lead. He's charismatic enough to have a large following, one that doesn't mind committing crimes for him even at great physical and personal cost." Touko briefly dropped her gaze to her shoes, remembering the expression on Touya's face as N touched him. "But what bothers me the most is the fact that he's not a trainer, at least not one I've ever seen."   
  
"Oh?"   
  
"Jay's right," Touko agreed, recalling the Pokemon battles. "If he wants a Pokemon to come to him, he just whistles. He doesn't use Pokeballs or give any battle commands." Mentally reviewing her encounters with N, she frowned. "I honestly don't think he even _has_ Pokemon of his own. All the battles I've had with him have been with Pokemon found in the area where we battled with no repeats."   
  
Jay smiled and nodded, clearly pleased that Touko had followed his thought process. "Whatever that charisma is, it applies to Pokemon and people," he agreed.   
  
"Hmm," the Champion grunted, stroking his chin. "If he isn't a registered trainer, I wonder how he's planning to get through the gate. Without the badges, it just won't open." He shook his head. "I'll have the League keep an eye out for a trainer fitting this N's description, as well as Team Plasma. But if he's evaded notice for so long, I'm not expecting too much." A loud humming filled the air and Adeku grinned at the three trainer's jump. "Looks like the bridge is coming down. Yakon will be waiting on the other side, so you can try for his badge." There was a flash of red as Adeku released his famous partner, a Volcarona he called Urukanusu. "I'll be in touch if anything comes up! Thanks for your help!" With a wave, the Champion vanished into the sky.   
  
"He's so _**COOL!!"**_ Cheren gushed as he stared after Adeku. "Oh, I can't wait to battle him!"   
  
"I can," Touko muttered, glancing at Jay as she did so. The tension had drained out of him the second that Adeku had taken off. "Jay, you good?"   
  
"Yeah. Yeah, I just..." He ran a hand through his hair and let out a small laugh. "I just remembered him as being a lot...louder. Thought he'd end up shouting about who I was, asking about Gramps or something." Touko took his hand and squeezed it gently, smiling when Jay squeezed back.  
  
"I didn't think of that," Cheren admitted, flushed with embarrassment. "Sorry, Jay."   
  
"It's fine. We have bigger things to worry about anyways," Jay admitted as the bridge settled into its locked position.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of the things I wish got talked about more is how weird N is in-story as a trainer. As far as we know, the only person he actually battles with is the player character. He never has a consistent team other than a Klink in Chargestone Cave and a KlingKlang on his final team. In a blind first playthrough, you never really know what Pokemon you'll be fighting against, other than maybe guessing based on earlier encounters. No other trainer acts like this, and I think it should be talked about more. Especially since his goal requires him to be at the League and yet he never gets a gym badge. Why make the protag go through all that when he clearly doesn't expect he'll need to? He's weird, that's all I'm saying.
> 
> Alder is an interesting champion, though he is overshadowed by N and Ghetsis. Also, his Japanese name makes me think of the Deku sprouts from Legend of Zelda so that always makes me laugh. Anyways, leave a like and a review if you enjoyed the update and I'll see you next time!


	20. Chapter 19: The Cold Storage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: There is a bit of strong language at the beginning of this chapter. Yakon has a potty-mouth. Just a heads-up if a couple of swear words is something you want to know about before reading!

If there was one thing that Blue did not expect to see after crossing the Driftveil Bridge, it was the man standing by the welcome sign. He was dressed in all brown what looked to be a pair of teal chaps with a large white cowboy hat on top. He reminded Blue of all those characters from Unova he saw in cartoons as a kid. But rather than a bright grin with overly shiny teeth, the man scowled as Blue, Touko, and Cheren cautiously approached. "Hrmph. So you're the trainers Adeku was talking about, huh."  
  
"Gym leader Yakon," Cheren quickly bowed. "We were hoping to challenge you..."  
  
Yakon held up a hand to cut Cheren off. "If you're looking for a badge, it'll have to wait. We have Plasma to deal with and unfortunately," he eyed the three with scorn, "I need all the help I can get." Yakon turned and began walking, clearly expecting them to follow. Cheren instantly obeyed, leaving Touko and Blue to sigh and trail behind. "We've been dealing with protestors for months, saying that using Pokemon to help us mine is 'abusive' and 'dangerous'." The gym leader rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Pretty sure it's more dangerous to blow up the mine with 36 workers and their Pokemon inside, fuckin' hypocrites."  
  
"Wait, they set off a bomb?!" Blue gasped.  
  
"Was anyone hurt?" Touko immediately added, face pale. Yakon shook his head.  
  
"All Pokemon who go in to dig have to learn Protect. It's safer that way in case of cave-ins. And we have secondary tunnels scattered throughout the central mineshaft so everyone got out." His scowl deepened and Blue could see the cowboy's hands tighten into fists at his sides. "But we can't exactly lay charges on anyone since they've vanished, and that's where you three come in."  
  
"Hold on, what makes you think they stuck around in Driftveil?" Blue asked, folding his arms across his chest. "They could literally be anywhere right now."  
  
"No, they couldn't." Touko and Blue looked at Cheren, who was rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "In an event like this, they'd shut down the skies to make sure they couldn't use Flying types to get away. There isn't a clear path over water so they couldn't Surf out, and since the Driftveil Bridge was up, that means they couldn't escape to Nimbasa."  
  
Yakon nodded. "Exactly. When the tunnel first collapsed, I had the opening to Chargestone Cave blocked off as well so the only places that they could run off to was Route 6, Mistralton Cave, or somewhere in Driftveil itself. Since the missus has had the cops going over Route 6 and the cave with a fine-tooth comb, that leaves the city. And since I need to get back to the safety inspections of the mine, where I would be if I didn't have to meet you three," he scowled at them once more. "That means you get to hunt for them."  
  
Touko clicked her tongue against her teeth before sighing. "Fine, it's not like I don't have a bone to pick with Team Plasma anyways."  
  
"I would have helped without being asked," Cheren agreed. Blue just shrugged, it wasn't like he could help too much without his team and at least this way, they might be able to get more information.  
  
Yakon grunted in approval. "Good. Cold Storage is at the south end of the city. Make sure you dress warmly," he pointed to Touko. "Unless you want frostbite later."  
  
Blue had to bite back a snicker as the gym leader stalked off and Touko glared at his back. "What I'm wearing is perfectly normal for a Unovan summer," she grumbled before yanking her bag off her shoulder. "It's not like I knew I was going into a place where their job is to literally freeze things and keep them cold."  
  
Cheren opened his mouth to say something, then apparently thought better of it before changing the subject. "I want to try and snag a catch on Route 6 before we go there. Maybe do some training as well. Shall we meet up in ten minutes or so?"  
  
"Sounds good," Blue agreed as Touko pulled a pair of jeans and a jacket out of her pack. Cheren quickly hustled away, leaving Blue alone with a still fuming girl. "So, is there a reason he's dressed like that?"  
  
Touko paused in her repacking to give him a withering look. "Why in the world would I know anything about the fashion choices of a man I've never met?" she snarled before catching herself. Wincing, she pressed a hand to her forehead. "Sorry, that was mean."  
  
"I've heard worse," Blue shrugged it off before crouching down to get a better look at Touko's face. She glanced away, but not before he caught the misery in her eyes. "Hey, what's wrong?"  
  
For a few seconds, he thought she wouldn't answer. But then the brunette gave a heavy sigh. "It was bad enough when it was just kidnapping Pokemon and threatening people. But a bomb? One that could have gotten so many people and Pokemon killed, one that could have brought down buildings?" Tears welled up in her eyes and she hastily blinked them away. "I just don't get how Touya could be involved with something like this. My brother was..." Touko trailed off, her gaze dropping to the jacket in her lap. "Did I even know him at all?"  
  
Someone who was better with words than he was probably would have known just what to say to make Touko feel better. But that person definitely wasn't Blue, so all he could do was wrap an arm around her shoulder and squeeze it in silent solidarity. One of her hands reached up to twine their fingers together for a few seconds of comfort before Touko began pushing herself to her feet. "Give me a few minutes to get changed and then we can get started at the storage." She paused before stepping away. "Jay, thank you."  
  
"I didn't do anything," Blue protested instantly as he stood as well.  
  
"You didn't try to lie about it, say that Touya knew nothing about it." Touko gave a sad smile. "If he's involved that closely with N, there's no way he couldn't know. So, thank you."

* * *

They'd only been searching for over three hours, but Yakon had been right warning them about frostbite. The temperature difference between the Cold Storage facilities and the rest of Driftveil had to be at least 20 degrees, a difference which had Blue pulling his own coat out of his bag less than five minutes into their search. It didn't help that there were at least 30 warehouses that needed to be checked and the workers were clearly grumpy over having to stop so that the teenagers could poke around. "You'd think he'd have given us a badge or something so we wouldn't be hassled," Blue grumbled as they waited for a forklift to cross.  
  
Touko shrugged, her cheeks red from the cold. "Honestly, it would probably take more time to make them than for us to deal with these workers." She gave a sigh of relief as they exited the building and the temperature jumped up once more, tilting her head up to take in the warm sun. "That's the fourth one we've checked, and no sign of them so far."  
  
Blue grunted in agreement, scanning the clipboard with a list of the warehouses and their contents they'd received from the head foreman. "I'm not sure how we're supposed to narrow this down," he reluctantly admitted. "Plasma could be in any of the other warehouses, if they came here at all."  
  
Touko hummed in agreement, peeking over his shoulder to skim the list herself. "My first instinct wouldn't be to come here, especially if I'm wearing metal." She gave a shudder. "That's just asking to lose some skin at the bare minimum." Blue winced in agreement, imagining the pain of pulling cold metal off after it had practically fused with flesh.  
  
"Hey!" The pair glanced up to see Cheren speed-walking towards them, his glasses demisting in the process. "Found anything?"  
  
"Not yet," Touko admitted, making the other boy sigh. "And I'm guessing you struck out too." She pulled a pen out of her pocket and crossed off Cheren's most current search from the list. "That's 25 to go if we keep using this method. And at this rate, it'll take us days to search each one."  
  
Blue chewed his lower lip, still going through the list. "There has to be one of these that they'd be most likely to hide in," he muttered. "We just have to figure out which one."  
  
Cheren shook his head. "Well it isn't the first warehouse you see coming in. If I was panicking from setting off a bomb, I'd find the first potential hideout and stay there, but we checked that one already."  
  
"And it isn't the one farthest away either," Touko added. "If I was doing that, then my first instinct would be to get as far away as possible, but it's clean too."  
  
"...Maybe that's the problem." Cheren and Touko blinked before looking at Blue. He glanced up and hastened to explain. "We've been searching based on the theory that Team Plasma couldn't get out of the city, panicked, and fled to the first place they could find to hide. But what if they planned this?"  
  
"If that's the case, it could have taken a lot of time," Touko mused. "Maybe bribing some of the workers or one of the foremen for a hiding spot."  
  
"Or maybe just a location. The warehouse that people are least likely to go into," Cheren declared, searching through his own list. "But I have no idea which one that could be."  
  
The trio deflated for a few seconds before Touko perked up. "Wait, I remember the foreman mentioning that certain warehouses were rented out to various companies. If that's the case, what if Team Plasma just rented one of them and had their grunts hide in it? That way, they could make sure that they weren't found!"  
  
"I don't see their name on the list though," Cheren pointed out. "Or any company starting with a P."  
  
"Not if they used a shell company," Touko added, snatching the list from Cheren's hands. "That way, they could claim deniability if their grunts were discovered!"  
  
"So we don't need to look through all the warehouses," Blue concluded, a grin coming to his face. "We just need to focus on the ones being rented out. And that brings our total down to..." He circled the few warehouses that qualified. "Four." He handed the list over to Cheren. "Do either of you recognize any of the company names for those four listings?"  
  
"That's a meat processing plant," Touko pointed, "And they have two here so I doubt it's them."  
  
"I recognize this name," Cheren pointed to the third. "My dad did business with them a few years back and they really pissed him off. So I think they're legit, if not all that good."  
  
"Was that the frozen orchid incident?" Touko asked as Blue just stared in shock.  
  
"No, the liquid glass one. So many swear words learned that day," Cheren reminisced, making Touko laugh.  
  
"I'll definitely be asking for some explanations later," Blue decided. "But that gives us one place to check out. Warehouse 17." Quickly, the trio hurried across the storage until they reached the marked building. As they entered, Cheren instantly headed over to the far side of the building. "Cheren, what are you doing?" Blue asked quietly.  
  
"The average temperature of one of these warehouses is about 38* F from what I've seen," the bespectacled boy explained. "That's too cold for a person to survive comfortably and they've been here for hours at least. So I thought they might turn up the heat a tad. And I was right," he beamed, pointing to the small thermostat on the wall. One that read 58* F. Definitely cold, but not cold enough.  
  
"We need to get to Yakon and talk to the police," Touko dropped her voice to a whisper. "If they used one bomb, they might have more." Blue and Cheren nodded and followed her out of the building. Time to get some back-up.

* * *

A few hours later, the three were watching the news safely from the Pokemon Center where Plasma grunts and a man in a thick woolen outfit were being marched out in handcuffs. Snickering, Blue lifted his soft drink in a mock toast. "Well, looks like Plasma is going to be losing a bunch of credibility."  
  
Laughing, Touko clinked her own can against his. "Kind of hard to support a company after they committed an act of terrorism. Especially since Yakon's wife is the chief of police here."  
  
Cheren, on the other hand, was quiet. "I didn't see Touya among them. I was hoping to."  
  
Blue winced as Touko whirled on Cheren, fury in her eyes. "I'm sorry, did you just say you were _hoping_ my brother was involved in using a _bomb_ on innocent people?"  
  
"If he was, then he'd be in jail and N would have nothing on you," Cheren retorted. "Forgive me for wanting to see you safe." Touko grit her teeth, but didn't reply. Instead, she pushed back from the table and stalked away. Both of them winced as she slammed the door behind her. "It was foolish, I suppose. N isn't likely to let Touya out of his sight until you've joined him," the black-haired boy reluctantly admitted.  
  
"Yeah, but I'm with you," Blue admitted. "I'd feel better if Touya was in one of those cells right now." He glanced at the door Touko had vanished through and sighed. "She's taking this hard, you know."  
  
"No doubt," Cheren admitted, twisting the soda can in his hands. "Touya was her hero growing up, you know? He was confident, brave. He had a kind of charisma that made you think he could do just about anything, and he made you believe in yourself too." He leaned back in his chair. "I honestly thought, before he vanished last year, that Touya would be the one I'd be battling for the championship. There was no doubt in my mind, in any of our minds, that he could do it."  
  
"Sometimes that kind of belief is dangerous enough," Blue pointed out quietly, thinking of his own journey. "No one's perfect, and even one loss can be devastating if it comes at the right time." Cheren hummed in response before the pair lapsed into silence, just watching the news stream fade into ads. Blue put his half-finished drink aside and got to his feet. "Well, I'd better get started planning for Touko's gym battle. See you, Cheren."  
  
"Jay? Look after her." Blue blinked at Cheren's request. "Touko's one of the strongest people I know, but it's clear that she's a lot stronger with you. And with how things are going..." He gave a shrug. "It eases my mind knowing that you're with her."  
  
"I care about her," Blue admitted. "But she needs you too, Cheren. You and Bel. Don't forget that." And with that, he walked off. Leaving Cheren sitting in silence as the tv droned on and on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Clay is an interesting gym leader, but god, does he look like a stereotype. You know that Americans Are Cowboys trope? He's a perfect example of that. That being said, the Cold Storage was easy enough, and I got a Vanillite from there since I literally had no non-dupes options unless I went for an Audino. Level 20 male named Yuuki, which means ‘snow’. Adamant nature, likes to fight, and Ice Body. Not great, my nature luck has fallen once more. Though he might come in handy later on for Drayden. We'll see how things go.
> 
> Next time, we get ready for Clay and something happens that most of you probably won't see coming. Leave a like and a review if you enjoyed and I'll see you next time!


	21. Chapter 20: The Good-Bye

"I _told_ you that I didn't have a nature curse," Touko grinned smugly as she and Jay looked over her most recent catches. Now that Team Plasma had been safely captured, Yakon was able to begin rebuilding his mine and his gym. While this would take a bit of time, it thankfully allowed Cheren and Touko some time to train for the battle. Hence her two new captures.  
  
Jay eyed the girl dubiously and pointed at the small picture of the Vanillite onscreen. "I can only think of a few physical Ice moves off the top of my head so I highly doubt that Adamant is a good nature for Vanillite," he commented, earning a scowl from Touko.  
  
"Yuuki isn't horrible as a Physical Attacker and he will learn some Physical Ice moves," she grumbled before moving the cursor over to the Deerling she caught on Route 7. "But Adamant is an _excellent_ nature for Deerling and Sawsbuck, so you know I'm not cursed." Folding her arms across her chest, she smirked as Jay leaned in to get a closer look.  
  
"Normal/Grass, huh?" the Kanto gym leader muttered as he skimmed the data. "That's a decent moveset and he'll be able to take advantage of STAB Return." He nodded. "Alright, yeah. You finally caught a good natured Pokemon. That's your best nature since Kenta." He snickered at the unimpressed look Touko shot him. "Seriously though, you should probably add him to your active team."  
  
Touko frowned. "But that would leave me with a team where half are weak to Fighting moves. Not to mention that Koki has Normal STAB covered. Why would..." She trailed off, feeling her face pale as Jay sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets. "You...you mean just for this gym battle, right?"  
  
He shook his head sadly. "Touko," Jay began, but Touko cut him off with a rapid shake of her head.  
  
"No. No way. I listened to you before, but I'm not doing this. I'm not taking Koki off the team!" Touko could barely see her hands starting to shake, and clenched them into fists to hide it. "The team is more than fine as it is."  
  
"Fine won't be enough when it comes both to later gyms and dealing with Plasma." Jay's hand on her shoulder was gentle, but his tone was stern. "Kioto will provide some Grass coverage as well and..."  
  
"I don't need Grass coverage," Touko angrily pointed out. "Grass is only good against Water, Rock, and Ground. Shun handles the first, Hiroshi covers the latter two and Akio can help with Rock as well! Not to mention that the next two gyms after this one are for types that Grass is weak to!"  
  
"TOUKO!" Jay's sudden shout made the girl flinch. He paused to take a settling breath before starting again. "Touko, Koki isn't a battle Pokemon. You know it and I know it. He does it because he loves you, but he's not meant for the fights that we'll be getting into." Touko tried to glance away, but Jay caught her chin and gently turned her to meet his steady gaze. "If this keeps happening, Koki could end up severely hurt or even dead. Kioto might have more weaknesses, but he'll be stronger than Koki and have more resistances as well." A single tear slipped out of her right eye and Jay wiped it away with his thumb. "I'm sorry, but this is the smartest way to go."  
  
"...Hiroshi is the only Pokemon I've known longer than him," Touko whispered, blinking away the other tears that threatened to escape. "How am I supposed to tell him that he's not good enough anymore? That he's being replaced?"  
  
"You don't. Because that's not what's happening. It's not what happened with Yume or Akane or Kei either," Jay countered. "You're a trainer now Touko, whether you like it or not. And sometimes, that means thinking about what's best for the team overall."  
  
Touko dropped her gaze, chewing on her lower lip briefly before nodding. "Just, just let me talk to him first."  
  
"Of course," Jay agreed as the girl reluctantly released her Herdier from his ball. Koki glanced around a bit as though making sure they weren't in a battle before turning around and sniffing at Touko. He let out a small whine as she dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around the Normal type.  
  
"Koki, I..." She trailed off and squeezed Koki briefly. "I love you Koki, but I'm going to be sending you to look after Mom for a bit." Koki whined once more and Touko tried to explain. "I...there's a new Pokemon in the box, a Deerling. And he has the potential to be really strong and good for the team and... I'm sorry Koki. I'm sorry." The Herdier wormed his way free from her grip long enough that he could start covering her face in licks. "Koki!" she scolded, shoving the grinning Herdier away long enough to wipe her mouth clean of dog spit. Koki dropped his butt to the floor, tail wagging as he grinned at her. She smiled back before rubbing his ears. "I'm going to miss you. Look after Mom and the others for me, alright?"  
  
After a bark of agreement, Koki returned to his ball and Touko completed the swap, taking the Great Ball from the PC and adding it to her belt. "Does it ever get easier?" she quietly asked Jay as the two made their way out of the Center.  
  
"...It's better than what happens if you don't." Touko opened her mouth to ask for more details, but stopped at the stony look on the Kanto gym leader's face. Jay glanced at her and forced a weak smile quickly. "Let's get training, Yakon's not going to wait forever." 

* * *

A few days later, Jay and Touko decided she was ready for the fifth gym. Mostly, at least. "I still say that Koki would be better for this gym," Touko grumbled as they made their way towards the large golden building that Yakon worked at. "Kioto won't learn a Grass move for another few levels."  
  
"But he'll be able to better resist any Ground moves that Yakon's team will use," Jay pointed out. "And you know that Kioto has a better Attack stat than Koki does. Besides, it's likely that Hiroshi will be able to..." he trailed off, staring at the small group of people standing outside of the gym.  
  
"Jay?" Touko glanced ahead and gasped. Standing in front of the doors to the gym was a large group of Team Plasma members, metal armor gleaming in the midday sun. Yakon was engaged in a staring contest with a man with long green hair that Touko remembered from Castelia City. The one that Arty had called Ghetsis. "What are they doing here?"  
  
"I don't know," Jay admitted, "but I don't think we should get involved." Nodding in agreement, Touko and Jay quickly moved to the side of the road where they were slightly hidden from the crowd, but could still watch the proceedings.  
  
Ghetsis folded his arms over the head of this cane and smiled. "It is a pleasure to meet the 'Miner King' himself. I am Ghetsis of Team Plasma and I am here to discuss the charges you have laid against my colleagues."  
  
Yakon sneered at the other man. "Yeah, can't say I'm too happy 'bout the bombs your _colleagues_ used against my people."  
  
"Bombs?" Ghetsis's eyes widened as though surprised. "It seems as if there has been some misunderstanding. Team Plasma exists to free Pokemon from people who would seek to abuse them. We have no skill or interest in things such as bombs."  
  
"Well, that sounds real nice, if it's true," Yakon grumbled, his hands dropping to rest on one of the Pokeballs on his belt. "I may not talk purty, but at least I'm an honest man. You talk real nice, but what yer sayin' kinda sounds like lyin'. So tell me plain, what are ya tryin' to say?"  
  
"I'm saying if there is a terrorist organization out there, then the Driftveil Police would be better off investigating that instead of going after members of my organization," Ghetsis answered smoothly. "After all, there might be other bombs located throughout the city. Perhaps the next one to go off might not be in one of your mines. Perhaps even, under the Driftveil police station itself." Touko bit back a gasp before instinctively reaching out to take Jay's hand. He squeezed it back tightly as Yakon glared at Ghetsis. "Of course, if these charges were dropped..."  
  
Yakon was silent for a bit before he gave a reluctant nod. "...Well, I can't tell if yer lyin' or not, but I reckon you've won this without a fight. Hrrmph. Fine. Take 'em and git!"  
  
Ghetsis swooped into a low bow worthy of a period piece. "A decision worthy of a businessman called the Miner King. Your grasp of the situation is outstanding. Well then, we will be taking our colleagues off your hands..." He snapped his fingers and the grunts of Team Plasma fell into a trained formation and began moving out. Ghetsis marched alongside them only to pause and turn as he passed Touko and Jay. His eyes narrowed in clear distaste as they fell upon the female trainer. "Ah, Ms. Sasaki. What a surprise to see you here."  
  
"...Hello, sir," Touko replied reluctantly, squeezing Jay's hand in warning. Thankfully, the older man appeared to pay no attention to the Kanto trainer as he coldly examined the girl.  
  
"I must admit, you were not what I expected when our Lord N announced that he had found his queen." He stalked forward a few steps so that he could loom over Touko. "Whatever he claims you to be, I do not see it."  
  
"If it bothers you so much, then maybe you could convince him to release my brother and leave me alone," Touko shot back hotly. "I can assure you, I am not doing this because I want to."  
  
To her surprise, this made Ghetsis snicker in clear amusement. "It is not my place to challenge my king," he cooed in a way that made Touko cringe. "Even if you make it to him, I have no doubt that he will destroy you. After all," his gaze moved up and down once more before Ghetsis sneered. "I highly doubt a being as noble as Reshiram would choose someone like you." With a swoop of his cape, Ghetsis turned on one heel and lead Team Plasma away. Touko hissed out a breath before glancing at Jay, who was glaring after them.  
  
"Well, wasn't that a show?" The sound of Yakon's voice made them both jump. The gym leader chuckled at their reaction. "Looks like you've got a bigger role in this charade than I expected. Why not come into my gym and tell me all about it?" 

* * *

One explanation later, Yakon sighed and pushed his hat up to run a hand through his hair. "Looks like Kamitsure wasn't exaggerating when she called. You're got yourself in a hell of a situation, girlie."  
  
"Not by choice," Touko countered, folding her arms across her chest. "I wouldn't even be doing this if he didn't have Touya."  
  
"Yeah, I reckon." To their surprise, Yakon walked over to a nearby wall and pressed a button. A cabinet opened to reveal multiple sets of Pokeballs and Yakon began replacing the ones on his belt. "I'll have to give ya more of a challenge then."  
  
"Wait, what?!" Touko gasped.  
  
"You can't change things like that," Jay snarled. "She has only four badges, so you need to..."  
  
"Gym leaders are allowed to adjust their teams in extenuating circumstances," Yakon instantly countered. "And with what's going on with you, girlie, yer going to need it." His swaps complete, Yakon closed the cabinet once more. "Seems to me that not everyone in Team Plasma is going to be happy with what their king wants. So you've got the ones on his side, and the ones like Ghetsis who might take it into their heads to go after ya, keep ya from their boss however they can." He tossed out a Krokorok, who snarled and thrashed his tail, ready for battle. "And if you can't handle something like this, how are you supposed to handle it when people out for your blood come after ya?"  
  
Touko swallowed before looking at Jay. He was gritting his teeth in a way that let Touko know he agreed with Yakon, however reluctantly. "Hey," she whispered. "I got this. At least you insisted on overleveling for this fight." Jay blinked before returning her smile and heading over to the side. Hoping she looked more confident than she felt, Touko released Hiroshi onto the field. "Razor Shell, now!" Instantly, the water type lunged and the yellow scalchop flashed, knocking out the Ground/Dark type in one clean hit.  
  
Yakon threw back his head and laughed before sending a powerful Excadrill onto the field. Instantly, Touko recalled Hiro for Akio, the Scraggy pawing at the ground in his first official gym battle. "Looks like you've got some grit after all. Hone Claws."  
  
"I wouldn't be here if I didn't," Touko countered before shooting a glance at Akio. "Akio, Brick Break." With a high-pitched war cry, Akio leaped into the air and brought his foot down upon the metal-covered head of the opposing Pokemon, leaving a huge dent behind.  
  
"Slash, now!"  
  
"Akio, use his weight against him!" At Touko's call, Akio took the slash straight in the chest before latching onto the claws with a deathgrip. The cocky expression on the Excadrill's face turned to horror as the Scraggy flipped him forward to slam face-first into the dirt. Despite clearly being unconscious, Akio raced forward to kick at the Pokemon's face a few times before Touko hastily recalled him. "You got him Akio," she grumbled.  
  
Shaking his head, Yakon sent out a Palpitoad, his final Pokemon. His eyebrows rose as Hiroshi stepped back onto the field. "You know that he's not weak to Water, right?"  
  
"I know," Touko smirked as a pale green energy began building up between Hiroshi's paws. "But that means a 4x weakness to grass. Grass Knot!" Hiroshi flung out the grass like a whip to encase the Palpitoad before tossing it into the air to slam heavily into the ground. Touko was about to call for another attack only for Yakon to lift a hand.  
  
"Looks like ya got us," he grinned as he recalled the fainted Pokemon to his ball. Hiroshi gave a delighted cheer before darting over for pets and praises from his trainer. "Bit surprised, considerin' what I heard about you from the other leaders." Touko glared, earning her another laugh. "But ya got people who can dig up yer potential, and that might make all the difference in the world." He glanced over at Jay who was beaming at her from the sidelines. "Just hope you're thinking of a way to cover yourself with Plasma. They're willing to use anything to their advantage."  
  
Jay nodded as he rose to his feet. "Thanks, but I got it covered." Yakon grunted in approval before turning towards the door.  
  
"Ya can pick up the badge and TM at the front desk. I gotta get back to work. Take care, Huuro's gym can be a wake-up call."  
  
"We'll be ready," Touko answered, watching him walk away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I replaced Koki. I love the Lillipup line, but we're past the area where Sand Rush can do any good and Adamant is an amazing nature for a Deerling. Though I was upset to learn that he wouldn't learn any Grass moves before I fought Clay. That was an oops on my part. But at least the gym battle went pretty well. And we got to see Ghetsis again which is always interesting. N, of course, will be showing up next time, along with some other things that people might be looking forward to.
> 
> Notes on the battle are below, leave a like and a review if you enjoyed, and I'll see you next time! 👋
> 
> Akio is level 31, and everyone else is level 30. Hiroshi is up front with his Mystic Water and Akio is holding the Eviolite.  
> Vs. Krokorok, male and level 29. Razor Shell OHKO. Hiroshi levels up.  
> Vs. Excadrill, male, and level 31. Hone Claws and Brick Break to a little less than half health. Slash to 46 from 81 and Brick Break KO. Moxie kicks in.  
> Vs. Palpitoad, male, and level 29. Grass Knot from Hiroshi and Bulldoze. Hyper Potion and Grass Knot. Aqua Ring and Grass Knot KO. Win.


	22. Chapter 21: The Ninjas

Blue had heard rumors about Chargestone Cave, and had even read a few papers comparing the location to other places in the world that caused Pokemon evolutions. But he hadn't been expecting the almost tangible tension in the air as he and Touko approached the cave entrance. "Feels like the air before a big storm."   
  
"Yeah, so it's not too fun for Water or Flying types," Touko replied as she tapped one of the balls at her side. "I'll try to avoid battling with Hiro if I can. He's weak to most of the wilds in there anyways." She shot a grin over her shoulder as she stepped through the entrance. "Try not to get too close to someone if you can help it. Really easy to get shocked."   
  
"Nothing I'm not used to," Blue muttered, recalling how he usually ended up jolting in shock after shaking Red's hand after a loss. From the smirk on his Pikachu's face, Blue had been certain the Electric type was doing it on purpose. Shaking it off, the Kanto gym leader hurried after her. "So, are there any Pokemon you're looking to catch?"   
  
Touko gave a shrug as she watched a Boldore waddle deeper into the cavern. "The team is pretty well settled and I don't think any catches from here would change it. Maybe I could send it to the professor to use as a study? She's been focused on the Chargestone Cave Pokemon recently since this is the only place in Unova where you can catch most of them besides Drilbur and Boldore."  
  
Blue hummed as he scanned the area, his gaze settling on a white wormlike Pokemon hovering over by an electrified stalagmite. Probably an Electric type, but not one that he was familiar with. "Like that one?"   
  
"Hmm?" Touko followed his pointed finger lazily, only to stiffen at the sight. Her eyes widened in clear shock as the Pokemon paused and turned to watch the pair curiously. Blue narrowed his eyes, trying to recall anything about the encounter when Touko whipped a Quick Ball out of her bag and flung it. There was one shake, two, three, and then the ball clicked and vanished on its way to the PC.   
  
"...You know, I think that's the first time I've seen you use a Quick Ball that actually caught the Pokemon," Blue commented. "Usually they break out on the first shake."   
  
"You can be as snide as you want because I just caught a Arceus-blessed Tynamo!" Touko squealed. Blue watched in bemusement as she twirled around in her version of a victory dance. "A Tynamo, do you know how rare they are?! So rare that I can count the studies done on the species on one hand! Araragi is going to be _thrilled!_ "   
  
With a name to give to the species, Blue mentally ran through various Pokemon in his head. When he came up blank, the gym leader couldn't help but shake his head. "Guess it really is rare if I don't know about it. Gramps usually forwarded me anything on new species. Is there any information we do have?"   
  
Touko whirled on him with a beam. "Only that it's the only known pure Electric type in the world with an immunity to Ground moves! There is so much that we don't know and so much we can learn!" She stopped dancing long enough to pull out her Pokedex. "I think I'll name her...Sachiko!"   
  
"A fitting name." Blue stiffened and the smile dropped away from Touko's face as an unfamiliar voice rang through the air. But a quick scan of the area revealed no one. "One does need 'good luck' in order to see a Tynamo in the wild."   
  
"Who's there? Show yourself," Blue snarled as he took an aggressive stance, wishing that he had his team. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Touko's hand drop to her own Pokeballs only to freeze as a figure with white hair and clad in black materialized out of thin air to grab her arm. "Hey!" Blue tried to lunge forward, but a second pair of hands grabbed him from behind. A quick glance over his shoulder revealed a figure with similar hair and garb. "Who the hell are you guys?"   
  
"Let go of me!" Touko tried to jerk free, but the figure stood firm as he twisted her arms behind her back. "What do you want with us?"   
  
A third figure appeared in front of the pair, eyes revealing nothing as he scanned them. "...Come."   
  
"We're not...Hey!" Touko and Blue were half guided, half shoved away from the cave entrance, despite their protests and struggles. Rather than following the main path, they were ushered into a small side tunnel were small electrified webs were casually brushed aside. Blue wasn't sure how long they walked, but it didn't take long before they reached a more open part of the cave. And awaiting them was a familiar figure with long green hair and a black ball cap. "You!"   
  
Shoving Blue and Touko to their knees, the three men knelt gracefully in front of the king of Team Plasma. "... My lord N, we brought the one you wanted."  
  
"Hello Touko," N grinned down at the girl, who quickly scrambled back to her feet alongside Blue. "I wanted to see you again, so I had you brought to me." He waved a hand. "Leave us, I wish to speak to my queen privately."   
  
"And him, my lord?" One of them asked, tilting his head towards Blue.   
  
N scanned him briefly and instantly discarded him. "He is no threat. He can stay." The air around the men shimmered for a few seconds and then they vanished.  
  
"I didn't want to see you again, trust me," Touko muttered, glancing over at where the trio had once been and inching closer to Blue. "Who were these creeps anyways?"   
  
"Creeps?" For a second, N looked blank before his eyes cleared. "Ah, yes. That was the Shadow Triad, just now. Ghetsis enlisted them in Team Plasma."  
  
 _What kind of man is Ghetsis to apparently have enlisted...ninjas? Assassains?_ Blue wondered as he stepped protectively in front of Touko. After what happened both here and in Nimbasa, he didn't trust N in the slightest. "Why are you here?" he asked instead.   
  
Smiling softly, N lifted a hand as though to present the area to Blue and Touko. _"_ Chargestone Cave... I like this place. Formulas express electricity and its connection to Pokémon..." He whistled once and a small yellow Pokemon Blue recognized as a Joltik jumped off a stalagtite to land lightly on N's palm. He ran a gentle finger down its back, earning a pleased chirp. "If people did not exist, this would be an ideal place." Kneeling down, N let the Joltik jump free from his hand before turning to gaze at Touko. "You have been chosen, you know. Does it surprise you I said that?"  
  
"You...No, because you were the one who chose me back in Nacrene!" Touko snarled. She sounded furious, but Blue could barely feel her trembling against his back. "I didn't ask to be chosen! All I want is my brother. Where's Touya?"   
  
N gave a pleased sound from the back of his throat and took a few steps closer the pair. Blue positioned himself more directly in front of Touko, but N didn't appear to see him. "I told Ghetsis about you and your friends. After I did, he apparently used the Shadow Triad to find out about you." Touko gasped and Blue glared as N continued to stare at her. "Cheren is pursuing the ideal of strength. Poor Bianca has faced the sad truth that not everyone can become stronger. And you are not swayed either way--more of a neutral presence." He gave a half-shrug. "Which is apparently a good thing. Team Plasma will be waiting for you ahead. Ghetsis wants to see what kind of Pokémon Trainer you really are."  
  
"I thought you were the king of Plasma," Blue grit out. "Seems like Ghetsis is the one giving orders."   
  
"Ghetsis is more suited to dealing with the machinations of humans," N casually explained. "I only wish to protect all Pokemon from humans. A process that could take lifetimes. Which is why I need strong children." He snapped his fingers and one of the Shadow Triad appeared to latch himself to N's arm. "If you fall to Team Plasma, then I was wrong about you. And I will have no further need of Touya." The pair shimmered and vanished.  
  
Finally letting his muscles relax, Blue felt Touko lean against his back. "Why is it that every time I see that guy, things just get worse?" he felt her mumble into his shirt.   
  
"At least we have a warning," Blue reluctantly admitted as he turned back to Touko. "Forewarned is forearmed and all that." Briefly, he ran a hand down her back. "You want to take a minute?"   
  
"I want to take a year." Sighing, the girl shook her head. "But I know I'm not going to get it. Let's head back to the main path and get this over with."

* * *

Thankfully, the tunnel was a straight shot so Touko and Jay easily reached the entrance once more. But what they weren't expecting was a familiar pair of females, one in a big green hat and the other in a lab coat and pencil skirt combo. "Bel, what are you doing here?" Touko asked as she stepped forward to wrap her friend in a hug. "What about the asshole?"  
  
Bel beamed up at Touko. "They're bringing him to trial, but that won't be for a few months. He's in jail with no bail though, and he got fined for contempt when he mouthed off to the judge."   
  
"Wish that I'd been there to see that," the brunette muttered. "Did you get a video at least? Or did it end up on the news?"   
  
"We weren't allowed to record in a courtroom, Touko," Araragi sighed. "If we had, I'd have invited a whole film crew to watch Shirai's breakdown. And also some popcorn." Blue couldn't hold back a snicker at the thought and pulled the professor's gaze to him. "Hello, Jay. Enjoying your time in Unova?"   
  
"It definitely hasn't been boring," the Kanto native admitted as he shook the outstretched hand. "But what are you doing here, Professor?"   
  
"Multitasking." Araragi grinned at the clearly confused looks on Blue and Touko's faces. "I came up to Nimbasa to support Bel with her father, as you well know. But now that that's been handled as much as it can until the trial in a few months, I decided to get a few things done. I have some research on Klink I wanted to do in Chargestone, and I brought this for you, Touko." She held out a familiar oval stone that had Touko gaping.   
  
"A Lucky Egg?! Professor, you can't give me this! What about your experiment on experience gains?" Touko's hands automatically reached out before she caught herself and brought them back to her sides.   
  
Araragi shook her head. "I can always run my experiments later, but you're on a time crunch and need this much more than I do." She pressed the Lucky Egg into Touko's hands. "I'll take it back once everything is done. And I think these belong to you, Jay." She grinned and held up a small box, where six shrunken Pokeballs were waiting inside. "Fresh from Kanto and quarantine clean."   
  
"Thank you, Professor Araragi," Blue said gratefully as he began attaching the balls to his belt. Shadow's wiggled in recognition as he touched it, making the boy grin.   
  
"You...you brought your team over?" Blue blinked at the question before looking at Touko, who was staring at him with an odd expression on her face.   
  
"Plasma has already used me as a hostage against you once, Touko," Blue pointed out. "If I'm traveling with you, I won't be a liability. And N might be more wary of approaching us if an angry Gyarados or Arcanine gets in his face." He smirked at the thought. Intimidate could be such a useful ability at times.  
  
Touko shook her head, biting her lip. "But you wanted to get away from battling while..."   
  
"This is more important," Blue interrupted, instinctively moving forward and cupping her cheek in one hand. " _You_ are more important, Touko. I'm not letting you do this alone."   
  
A soft smile, more gentle than any Blue had seen on her face before, bloomed on Touko as she gazed at him, making blood rush to Blue's cheeks. "Thank you, Jay. For everything."  
  
"It's not something you should be thanking me for," he muttered, glancing away briefly. He froze at the identical smirks on Bel and Professor Araragi's faces before dropping his hand from Touko's cheek.   
  
Touko followed his gaze and snorted. "Alright, no more of that. I get more than enough from my mom whenever she calls." That last part was muttered and made Blue blink in confusion. "But you both need to be careful. Team Plasma is in the cave and they'll be looking to fight me."   
  
"Wait, what?" Bel gasped. Touko gave a brief rundown of their most recent encounter with N. "Oh, that big jerk! Maybe we should stay as a group so..."   
  
"No, Bel," Blue immediately protested. "N has a history of using people as hostages. I have my team now and we know he doesn't want to hurt Touko. But you and the professor don't have that protection." He tapped one of the balls on his belt. "If things get hairy, I can protect her now, don't worry."   
  
Bel hesitated and Touko stepped forward. "Bel, we'll be fine. You and the professor can focus on your research, alright? We'll meet up in Mistralton, alright?" The blonde thought for a few seconds, and then nodded, making Touko beam. "Good. Let's go, Jay!" Not waiting for a reply, Touko strode off into the dark, making Blue hastily follow her. It wasn't until they'd lost sight of the pair that the Unovan girl slowed and sighed. "I really hope they don't follow us."   
  
"If they do, we can handle it," Blue promised, taking her hand and squeezing it tightly. "We'll keep them safe, Touko. I promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah. I caught a Tynamo. It wasn't a true first encounter since that was a Boldore, but thanks to dupes clause, I have a Tynamo! How cool is that?! I also wanted to use this point in Chargestone for a few things. One was to get Blue his Pokemon, since we already have Araragi showing up in the cave. The other was to introduce the Shadow Triad and have them do more than move you a few feet down a path you already were going to go. You can even see N from the entrance, seriously game!
> 
> There was also the Bianca battle in Driftveil where you get Fly, but since Touko doesn't have any Pokemon on her team who can Fly, it was kind of pointless so I dropped it. Battle is still below for people who are interested and I'll see you next time! 👋
> 
> As they leave Driftveil, Bel catches up and asks for a battle. Akio and Hiroshi are level 31, everyone else is level 30, and Akio is up front still. It is also raining.
> 
> Vs. Herdier, female, and level 26. Intimidate lowers Akio’s attack, Brick Break is still a OHKO thanks to a crit.  
>  Vs. Pignite, male, and level 28. Scald OHKO.  
>  Vs. Pansage, male, and level 26. Fire Punch OHKO.  
>  Vs. Musharna, female, and level 26. Faint Attack and Defense Curl. Faint Attack and Lucky Chant. Hyper Potion and Faint Attack. Headbutt and Defense Curl. Faint Attack and Hypnosis miss. Faint Attack and Hypnosis hit, Lucky Chant wears off. Swap to Yuma and Hyper Potion. Faint Attack and Defense Curl. Fake Tears and Psybeam crit. Psybeam and Psybeam crit with confusion. Swap to Hiroshi and Psybeam. Scald KO. Win. Yuck, what a fight. Akio levels up.


	23. Chapter 22: The Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This Chapter will contain some description of blood and animal violence as well as mentions of death. If this is something that you feel may trigger you, please avoid this chapter. Thank you.

"Remember how you mentioned that I looked like an easy mark so trainers wanted to battle me?" Touko asked as the pair made their way up yet another flight of stairs. Jay gave a grunt of acknowledgement and Touko continued. "Have I just not improved at all or is there something about me that just screams 'come battle, free exp'?"  
  
Jay held up a pair of fingers. "First, half of the people who challenged you in here are from Team Plasma and are likely following N's orders. The rest have a choice between challenging you or me, and you are an easier battle than I am."  
  
Touko scowled and shoved down the guilt that had begun to churn at that remark. "I just want to get out of here. I'm running low on potions and I know everyone is getting tired." Her gaze dropped down to the Pokeballs on Jay's belt. "Not to mention I want to meet your team as well."   
  
To her surprise, the comment made a small blush appear on the Kanto native's cheeks. "Once we're in a safer spot. I don't want to do this in town either though; less chance of being recognized that way." He turned to look at a group of Ferroseed burrowing their way underground and mumbled, "And I'm pretty sure they'll be happy to meet you too."   
  
Grinning, Touko stepped closer and bumped Jay's shoulder with her own. "Another reason to get out of here." She pulled out the small map of the caves she'd bought in Driftveil and scanned it briefly. "I think we're here now, so the exit must not be too far. Hopefully, we won't see any more grunts for a while."   
  
"I think we should be in the clear," Jay commented as she folded the map up once more. "They mostly stuck to the lower levels and if we're close to the exit, I can't expect that..." He trailed off as they rounded a corner to find not only the exit, but N standing in front of it with that odd smile of his. "Then again, I could be completely wrong," he muttered as he pulled one of the Pokeballs off his belt.  
  
N didn't appear to notice. His gaze was completely fixed on Touko as he stepped forward, clapping his hands slowly. "Oh, well done! The Shadow Triad kept watch while you fought and reported it all to me. All of my strongest grunts defeated by your power!"   
  
There were so many things that Touko wanted to say, but she held her tongue. "Whatever. My team is exhausted. Let us through, N."   
  
The King of Plasma beamed. "Ah, that is how I knew you were the one. Out of all the people I've met in this world, only you truly care for Pokemon like I do."   
  
_What._ Jay and Touko exchanged glances before Jay spoke up. "What kind of trainers have you been meeting? The majority _do_ care about their Pokemon."   
  
"If they truly cared about Pokemon, then they wouldn't trap them in Pokeballs or stuff them into computers." N frowned and folded his arms across his chest. "Nor would they force them into battles for things like money or pride. Only if Pokemon are separated from humans will they truly ascend as perfect beings."   
  
_Is he not aware that I do all those things?_ Touko wondered, but decided against bringing it up. She didn't want to risk pointing it out and having N kill Touya in retaliation. Instead, she tried another tack. "If you're so against Pokemon battles, then why make me go through the League challenge in the first place? Why force me to do something you have which I never would have done under normal circumstances?"   
  
N gave a heavy sigh and shook his head. "One cannot become the strongest without proving their strength. You will have shown yours by collecting the badges and I will prove mine by defeating the Champion. Thus we will quell rebellion before it has a chance to sprout and reign over Unova as guardians of all Pokemon." A manic gleam appeared in his eyes as he lifted an open hand into the air before clenching it into a fist. "Those who would still dare to challenge our strength will be destroyed by the guardian dragons."   
  
"Touko!" Touko flinched and whirled around to see Bel and Professor Araragi hurrying towards them. "We found a nest of Klink near the center of the cave and..." The blonde trailed off as she caught sight of N and the Shadow Triad. "Oh...is that...?"  
  
"Touko, Jay," Araragi greeted the pair with a smile before glancing at N. "And I suppose this is the man that you told me about?"   
  
N's hands dropped to his side and shook in barely contained rage. "Professor Juniper, what are you thinking? You appear to have no qualms about the relationship between Pokémon and people. You put Pokémon into categories using arbitrary rules and think you can understand them like that... The very idea of a Pokédex revolts me. What do you have to say for yourself?" He pointed a finger at her accusingly.   
  
Araragi sighed and brushed some dirt off of her lab coat. "Well, you certainly aren't my biggest fan. But you appear to be operating under some misconceptions. I consider the Pokedex to be a tool to show the common knowledge about Pokemon. Average height, weight, move learnset, et cetera. But this doesn't mean I understand all Pokemon and I have never made that claim." She folded her arms across her chest and glared at N. "As a scientist, it is my job to ask questions and try to find the answers. To never stop learning and never be content with a 'because' that doesn't answer 'why'. You have your opinion about Pokemon, and I have mine. So how about if all people get to decide for themselves how to relate to Pokémon?"  
  
"You're saying I should just allow people to think whatever they want and treat Pokémon however they want, no matter whether the Pokémon suffer? I refuse to tolerate the existence of a world like that!" N spat in fury. He whistled loud and clear and a Boldore came charging out of the darkness, heading straight for Araragi.   
  
"Professor!" Touko and Bel shouted in unison as the brunette flung out a Pokeball. Hiroshi instantly fired off a Scald, the hot water leaving a burn on the Rock type. It hesitated before choosing to retreat rather than attack once more. Touko whirled on N, eyes flashing. "How dare you attack Professor Araragi!"   
  
"Touko," Jay stepped forward, Pokeball in hand. "Let me handle this. My team's still fresh." Recognizing the logic of his claim, Touko nodded and recalled Hiroshi. "If you want to touch any of us, you'll have to go through me first."  
  
N glared and opened his mouth to whistle once more, but one of the Shadow Triad placed a hand on his arm. "My Lord, it is time." The green haired man snarled, but reluctantly placed a hand on the ninja's arm as the air around them began to shimmer.   
  
"We will meet again, my queen," was all he managed to say before he vanished once more.   
  
"Well, that was certainly an experience," Araragi snickered at the dumbfounded look on the trio's faces. "But I can definitely see why you are so concerned, Touko. If you want to stop..."   
  
"No," Touko instantly denied. "If I stop now, then Touya..." she trailed off and shook her head. "I can't, Professor."   
  
"I thought you would say that," the professor sighed. She reached into a pocket to pull out her phone. "Then you focus on getting those badges. I'll contact my father and do some digging. We should be able to at least narrow down a potential location for Reshriram that way."   
  
"Thank you Professor," Touko said gratefully.   
  
Araragi smirked. "Well, I have to look after my students after all."

* * *

"That's it, I'm done," Touko declared as she flopped down onto her back. "No more battling today, I'm through!" Jay snickered and took a seat next to her.   
  
"It wasn't that bad." The Unovan girl briefly lifted her cap to glare at him and Jay hastily corrected himself. "Ok, maybe the swarm of three people one after the other was a bit much..."   
  
"That's an understatement, Jay," Touko corrected as she pushed herself into a sitting position. "Are we far enough away from Mistralton now?" After N had vanished once more, the travelers had exited the cave to take a break at the local Pokemon center. While Bel and Araragi had returned to Chargestone for more research, Touko and Jay had decided to explore Route 7 for a bit. This was partially to give Touko's team a rest after all the hard work they put in getting through Chargestone, but also so that Jay could see his team again.   
  
Glancing around, Jay mentally measured the height of the trees surrounding the small grove. "I think they should be tall enough to hide her," he muttered. "Yeah, this should be fine."   
  
"Then let them out!" Touko commanded with a smirk. "You know you want to."   
  
"Shut up," Jay rolled his eyes before tossing all six Pokeballs into the air. Touko's eyes widened as Pokemon she'd only seen in pictures or on TV landed in battle ready positions on the grass. At least until they turned as one and charged at their trainer, tackling him to the ground and covering him in licks and coos and various noises of delight. "Hey, come on guys! I can't...!" Touko snickered as Jay's yells were cut off by a large tongue running over his face. "Yuck! I missed you too, but not that much!" The black and orange Arcanine snickered at the scolding before diving in again.   
  
"They really missed you, didn't they?" Touko commented, drawing all eyes to her. "So much they apparently didn't even notice I existed," she added with a giggle.   
  
"Yeah, I guess," Jay answered with a grin as he shoved the Umbreon off his stomach so he could get to his feet. "Everyone, this is Touko. She's been looking out for me while I was here in Unova." The Umbreon padded over to sniff Touko a few times before sitting down and offering a paw to shake. "That's my starter, Shadow."   
  
"It's nice to meet you, Shadow," Touko said as she shook the paw with dignity. Shadow barked in reply and trotted back to Jay's side as Touko stood as well. "Now, who is everyone else?"   
  
Jay beamed as he ran a hand over the long red headfeathers of the Pidgeot. "Gale here was my first catch on Route 1, so we've been through a lot." He caught Touko's hand and guided it under the large bird's chin. "Give him a few chin scratches and he's yours for life."   
  
"Easy sell then," the girl commented as Gale let out a delighted coo. "You have to at least offer an Unfezant a bread crust before you own their soul." Turning, she smiled at the Alakazam who offered a polite bow. "Why, good day to you too, sir!" Touko laughed as she curtseyed in return.   
  
"I caught Harry in Cerulean City. Took over an hour since Abra only know Teleport. So many Pokeballs lost," Jay sighed and shook his head. A large head dropped over his shoulder and he habitually reached up to rub the side of the Gyarados's face. "Maggie here was a lot easier. I fished her up before I got my third gym badge, but I had to box her for a while." Touko glanced at him curiously and he added, "The next few gyms were Electric and Grass so not the best matchups. Once I got her to evolve though, she was the team powerhouse for a while." Maggie let out a rumble of approval before lightly butting her head against her trainer.   
  
Eggbert stomped closer to examine Touko, who eyed him back with open curiosity. "What about this guy?"   
  
"I caught Eggbert in the Safari Zone as an Exeggcute. Only place you can get them in Kanto," Jay explained. He smiled as his Arcanine wandered over to sniff at Touko's hair. "And Beast originally was from Cinnabar Island in an old mansion. Lead me on a chase before I finally caught her."   
  
"Beast? Why would you name her that?" Touko asked. "Oh no, you're too pretty to be a beast," she cooed as she scratched the Arcanine between the ears.   
  
Jay's ears reddened as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "Look, the Pokedex didn't come with a gender identifier back when I was a kid. And by the time I realized, she'd gotten used to the name so..." He scowled as Touko started laughing. "It isn't that funny."   
  
"Oh, from where I'm standing, it's hilarious," Touko corrected. Her smile softened as she watched the Pokemon inch closer to their trainer, begging for attention and pets. "They really missed you, didn't they?"   
  
"Yeah," Jay agreed as he knelt down to rub at Shadow's back. "I missed them too." He hesitated a second before glancing up at Touko's face. "But I'm really glad you got the chance to meet them."   
  
Touko crouched down as well to join Jay in stroking his starter. "I'm glad too." For a few seconds, the pair just knelt there, petting the Umbreon and smiling at each other. But they couldn't stay there forever.  
  
"Hey!" The sudden shout made the pair jump to their feet to see a young man glaring at them, tossing a Pokeball up and down in the air. "I challenge you to a battle."   
  
Jay blinked in surprise before giving a shrug. "Alright. It's been a bit so we could probably use the warm-up. Right guys?" He grinned at his team who all chortled and snickered before going into battle stances.   
  
But the trainer rolled his eyes. "Not you. Her." He pointed at Touko. "Our eyes met so you can't refuse it."   
  
"Seriously?" Touko groaned before releasing Shun in resignation. "Someone really needs to do something about that rule. And why can't you fight Jay? All his Pokemon are out already."   
  
"I'm not an idiot," the trainer grunted as his Watchog was released, tail twitching in anticipation. "I can tell he's way out of my league. You on the other hand, much better target."   
  
Now it was Touko's eyes that were rolling while Jay snickered behind her back. "Whatever. Shun, Shock Wave." The Zebstrika's stripes flashed yellow as the electricity flew through the air to strike the Normal type.   
  
The trainer smirked, a slightly feral look in his eyes. "Super Fang. Aim for the neck." Touko's eyes widened and her hand dropped for Shun's ball, but the Watchog's fangs flashed before sinking deeply into Shun's neck, making the Zebstrika scream in pain. Rather than releasing like most Pokemon would, the Normal type dug in, clinging to Shun like a desperate lover.  
  
"Shun!" Touko tried to recall her Pokemon, but Shun kept bucking in pain and dodging the Pokeball. "Stop it! I concede the battle, just call it off!"   
  
"There's no running from a trainer battle," the trainer sneered as he examined his fingernails. "But I'll do it, if you can make it worth my while."   
  
"Gale, Return." The Pidgeot lunged at Jay's command, knocking the Watchog off and taking a good chunk of Shun's neck with it. Instantly, Touko recalled him. "Touko, I'll handle this. Take Beast and get Shun to the center, now."   
  
"Hey, you can't..." The trainer trailed off as both Maggie and Beast fixed their Intimidates on him as Touko scrambled onto the Arcanine's back. Clinging to her fur, Touko clutched the Pokeball to her chest and prayed that Shun would be alright.

* * *

It felt like hours, but had probably only been a few minutes before Jay showed up once more. Touko was sitting in the corner with Beast, stroking the Arcanine's head as she waited for news. "What did you do with him?" the Unovan girl asked as he took a seat beside her.   
  
"Took his team and scared him off. Without any Pokemon, he won't be a threat," Jay replied, showing the three Pokeballs he'd stuffed in one of his pockets. "He's also missing a few teeth." Reaching out, he covered Touko's trembling hand and squeezed it. "Touko, it'll be alright."   
  
"Miss Sasaki?" One of the nurses came out from behind the desk, her face solemn. Touko looked at her and knew. "I'm sorry, but your Zebstrika...There was nothing we could do. The damage was too severe." She held out Shun's Pokeball, the top now a dull grey instead of its usual vibrant red.  
  
Vaguely, Touko registered the nurse telling her about arranging a grave at the nearby Pokemon Tower, of Jay wrapping his arms around her and Beast nuzzling her back. But it was like everything was covered in cotton, her emotions included. There was only one thing that was running through the girl's mind. Shun was dead, and it was all her fault.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Yeah. I lost Shun. You know that Ace Trainer that meets you right after you step off that first wooden railing? The one a few screens down from the Pokemon Tower? He's a Triple Battler in White and a Rotation Battler in Black. Crit Super Fang from three quarters health. The other Pokemon on the field were Akio and Yuma and I didn't think they would be able to handle it since they weren't evolved while Shun was, and I was so sure he was going to swap to the Swoobat...
> 
> I thought I could do a deathless run. And being so close to the Pokemon Tower was just a kick to the teeth. Not to mention that I was planning to box him after this gym battle. Hiroshi came out and finished everyone off, but I felt in-story it would make sense for Jay to handle it. Rest in Piece, Shun. You got us through a lot, and I'm going to miss you.
> 
> Shun the Zebstrika  
> Level 10-Level 33


	24. Chapter 23: The Farewell

_Crouched on his knees, Blue blinked back the tears as he stared at the small gravestone. It was a good thing he was a great trainer because without all the money he'd earned while battling, he wouldn't have been able to afford the gravesite in the Pokemon Tower. He only had enough for a plot on the second floor, but at least Chewey was enshrined safely. The small incense he'd lit tickled at his nose and stung his eyes as Blue read the etching. Chewey the Raticate: Gone but Never Forgotten.  
  
Blue wasn't sure how long he knelt there for, but the sound of some rocks falling behind him made him whirl around. To his dismay, Red was standing there with his Pikachu on his shoulder. To his credit, Red looked mortified at disturbing him, but Blue wasn't ready to deal with Red. Not now, and definitely not here. As Red lifted his hands to sign something, Blue shot to his feet, rubbing an arm over his eyes to wipe away any tears. "Hey, Red! What brings you here? Your Pokémon don't look dead!"   
  
The last sentence made Red wince as his eyes darted to Chewey's grave marker. Blue shifted so he was now standing in front of it, as though to protect it from his rival's prying eyes. Sniffing, he flung out a random Pokeball, releasing Gale. "I can at least make them faint! Let's go!" Gale let out a confused squawk and glanced at his trainer worriedly. But that confusion was nothing compared to Red, who immediately shook his head and took a few steps back, hands gripping tightly to the straps of his backpack.   
  
"What?! You can't back out!" Blue snarled through the tears that were building up again. "You can't run from a trainer battle, Red! You can't run! You have to stay and fight and...and..." And that's when the dam burst. A desperate wail tore itself from Blue's chest as he dropped to the ground. The boy buried his face in his knees, clinging to his legs as he sobbed like his heart was breaking. Vaguely, he could register Gale's beak preening his hair in an attempt to comfort him, but all Blue could do was cry. Cry because he was a failure, cry because he wasn't good enough. Cry because if he'd only been better, Chewey would still be alive.   
  
As his tears finally slowed, Blue became aware of a hand slowly stroking up and down his back. He lifted his head to see Red sitting at his side, worry clear in his eyes. Blue instantly looked away, rubbing at his eyes. "If you tell anyone about this, I'll kill you," he muttered, not really caring if Red heard him or not. "Why are you even here anyway? Your Pokemon are fine."  
  
There was the sound of a pen being clicked and some scribbling before a piece of notebook paper was shoved in front of Blue's face. Squinting, he tried to make out the minature Torchic-scratch that was Red's handwriting. "Hunting for Cubone? They're on the upper floors. 5th and 6th." Blue glanced at some of the gravestones decorating the area. "More room for them since there are less grave sites." Gale poked his head into Blue's lap and chirped, drawing a chuckle from the boy as he ruffled the red feathers. Recalling the Pidgeotto, Blue rose to his feet, still avoiding Red's gaze. "I need to get back to training. We'll call this a draw. Smell you later, Red."   
  
And with that, Blue headed for the stairs heading downward, and Red let him go._

* * *

Blue opened his eyes to a still dark room, and a quick glance at the clock confirmed it was around 2 in the morning. The Kanto trainer sighed in defeat, realizing he was doomed to another sleepless night. Though the little he got was in fits and starts as memories both old and new rattled around in his skull. Most likely triggered by the awful battle that had happened.   
  
Touko had essentially shut down after the nurse had returned the blackened Pokeball. She hadn't cried, hadn't gotten angry or scared. She just sat there, still as a stone and just as responsive. Blue had managed to get her settled in one of the Pokemon center suites, a consolation prize for Shun's death, but he was pretty sure she wasn't sleeping. Exhaling through his nose, Blue got out of bed and headed for the door to the small kitchen/living space. Maybe some mind-numbing TV would help get him to sleep.   
  
But to his surprise, Touko was there when he exited the bedroom. Her arms were wrapped around her knees as she stared not at the blank TV screen, but out the window into the starry night. Noticing the bumps on her arms, Blue picked up one of the complementary throws and draped it over her shoulders. She jumped at the soft fabric on her skin as Blue took a seat beside her. "You looked cold," he explained quietly. "No need to freeze to death."   
  
Touko adjusted the blanket and whispered, "Thanks." There was a pause before she added, "Sorry if I woke you."   
  
Blue shook his head. "It's fine. Wasn't getting much sleep anyways." They sat in silence for a bit before Blue finally asked the question that had been burning in his gut since the Nurse had given them the news. "What do you need me to do?"   
  
A reluctant smile crept onto Touko's face as she leaned into Blue's side. "You have a time traveling Pokemon we could use? So we could go back and fix this mess?"   
  
Blue snorted and shook his head. "I think we'll never be able to catch a Pokemon that controls time. If we do, it's likely it won't _want_ to be captured and then it'll just rewind time so it can avoid capture in the first place." Touko gave a small giggle and Blue took the chance to wrap an arm around her shoulder, stroking her side gently.   
  
"...They'll find him, right? They'll arrest him." Blue nodded. Accidental deaths in battles were one thing, but Shun's death was clearly intentional. Even with Blue having confiscated his Pokemon, the man still had his trainer card and they could track him that way. "It should help," Touko whispered. "It should be enough. Why isn't it?"   
  
Blue sighed and squeezed her closer. "Because even if it prevents other people from getting hurt, it doesn't help yours. Even if he's punished, it won't fix things." Dave's face, his and his Nidoran's, flashed into Blue's mind, making him grit his teeth as a familiar wave of anger and grief washed through him.   
  
Touko was quiet for a bit before she turned to look at Blue's face. "What was his name?"   
  
For a second, Blue was torn. Then he closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and whispered, "Chewey. My Raticate. My second catch." He heard Touko shifting, and then his eyes flew open at a weight settling into his lap. He glanced down to see Touko straddling his lap before wrapping her arms around his back and leaning into his chest. He hesitated, and then slowly returned the girl's embrace. They sat there for a time, just holding each other and breathing. Blue could even feel his eyes drooping before he felt Touko shift once more.  
  
"It's going to be hard tomorrow," he felt Touko whisper into his chest. Blue's arms tightened around her.   
  
"Yeah."   
  
"You'll be there with me?"   
  
"Always."   
  
"Jay?"   
  
"Hmm?"   
  
"Thank you." 

* * *

The Celestial Tower was actually pretty different from the Pokemon Tower back home. It was a lot larger, sadly enough, and made of a polished light marble instead of dark gray stone. But it made Blue feel itchy and anxious, like he always felt during his annual visits to Chewey's grave to light incense and pray. Even after all these years, he never felt quite at ease in places like this.   
  
But he shoved that aside for now as he followed Touko through the graves to Shun's plot. Her team trailed behind them, joined temporarily by Koki, Akane, and Yume. They'd tried to bring Kei along as well, but the Boldore had reacted...poorly to the news. It had taken the combined efforts of Akio, Hiroshi, and even Harry's psychic powers to keep her from charging Touko in her anger and grief. So for now, she was sitting in her private box to mourn her friend.   
  
Blue was pulled from his thoughts when he nearly bowled Touko over as she froze, hesitating. Acting on instinct, he reached out and took one of her hands, squeezing it tightly. There was a moment, and then he felt her squeeze back as she stepped forward to kneel in front of the newest addition to the Celestial Tower. _Here lies Shun the Zebstrika. There are no good-byes for us. Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart_. "I'll miss you Shun," Touko whispered as she laid the bouquet of chrysanthemums on the grave. "Thank you, for everything."  
  
She rose and stepped back to let her team come forward with their own flowers, which ranged from daisies to sunflowers to a few that Blue didn't recognize. By the time they were finished, Blue could barely make out the grave beneath all the flowers.   
  
"Excuse me?" Blue jolted and Touko jumped at the voice that suddenly appeared behind them. They whirled around to see one of the guardians of the tower wincing in embarrassment. "My apologies, I didn't mean to startle you."   
  
"It's fine," Touko muttered, running a hand through her hair. "Can we help you?"   
  
"Yes, I have a message for a Miss Touko Sasaki from gym leader Huuro." She pointed at a spiraling staircase leading further up the tower. "She requested a meeting with you at the tower bell."   
  
Blue frowned. "Why would she want to meet us here?" he asked, glancing at an equally baffled Touko.   
  
"Ms. Huuro is a frequent visitor to the Celestial Tower," the employee explained with a warm smile. "I doubt that she wished to truly disturb your mourning."   
  
_And yet she requested a meeting today of all days?_ Blue inwardly ranted. But he kept his thoughts to himself and nodded as the woman strode away. "What do you want to do?"   
  
Touko sighed. "We might as well see what she wants. I'll..." There was a hitch before she managed to continue. "I'll have to face her eventually, won't I?" Recalling most of her team except for Hiroshi, Touko and Blue headed for the stairs. It was a long walk, but they finally reached the top of the tower, where a large golden bell stood on a raised platform. Standing nearby was a pretty woman with long red hair in a blue flight suit. "Gym leader Huuro?"   
  
Huuro nodded and gave a bow. "Yes, and you must be Touko. I'm sorry for calling you here, but I wished to officially apologize for what happened to your Zebstrika."   
  
"You don't have to do that," Touko immediately protested. "It wasn't your fault."   
  
"But it was," Huuro disagreed with a firm shake of her head. "As gym leader, it is my responsibility to keep all trainers and their Pokemon safe. I failed in regards to you, and for that, I'm truly sorry."   
  
Touko opened her mouth to refute it again, but Blue quickly squeezed her hand and shook his head in warning. As a fellow gym leader, he could understand where Huuro was coming from, and he honestly respected it. Touko made a face before reluctantly nodding. "Then I accept your apology."   
  
The tension visibly drained out of the gym leader and she beamed at the pair. "Good. Oh, since you're already here, why don't you ring the bell? Celestial Tower's bell is for soothing the spirits of Pokémon. Also, the character of the person ringing the bell is reflected in its sound."   
  
Clearly eager to get the conversation over with, Touko stepped forward and lightly pressed on the bell. The sound that pealed out was higher pitched than Blue had expected, light and joyful and almost eager. The girl pressed her hands together and bowed her head for a quick prayer before glancing at Blue over her shoulder. "You should do it too."   
  
Blue lifted his hands in protest. "I don't think that Shun needs one from me."   
  
"Not for Shun." Touko's eyes darted briefly to Huuro, but she thankfully didn't elaborate. Blue swallowed, and then joined Touko to ring the bell himself. This time, the sound was deeper, rich and proud and more like what he'd expected the bell to sound like in the first place. He stared at the bell disgruntedly as Huuro let out a laugh.   
  
"What pretty sounds! You both sound like strong and kind people." There was a flash of red light and an Unfezant was released to stand ready to go. Huuro climbed on and waved. "When you are ready, please come to the Gym. I'll give you a big welcome!" With that, she took off into the sky.   
  
Blue stared after her in bemusement. "Did she really have to do that?"   
  
"Probably not," Touko laughed as she stepped off the platform. "Let's take the stairs."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to take this chapter to go over what I thought of Red. While Blue definitely is a protagonist in this story, that doesn't mean I view Red as evil or bad. Like Blue, I consider him a ten-year-old kid back when they were on their journeys. One who really misses his best friend and loves Pokemon. Red's definitely not a bad person, Blue just has issues with him that he needs to work out.
> 
> As for Huuro, I like the idea of her, and having her show up at the tower in-game led to some interesting story ideas. On another note, my catch for the tower was a Jolly Litwick. My nature curse has resumed. We'll go over plans for the gym battle and hopefully the actual fight next time. Leave a like and a review if you enjoyed this update and I'll see you guys next time!


	25. Chapter 24: The Throw

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: The last part of this chapter contains mentions of blood, violence, and death. If any of this makes you uncomfortable or you believe it would trigger you, please skip this chapter. Thank you.

"Are you sure that this is the best option?" Touko asked as she and Jay examined the contents of her PC. It had been a few days since they buried Shun and Touko had spent them mourning and training for the battle with Huuro. Thankfully, Team Plasma and N hadn't shown up as well; Touko doubted that she would have been able to handle that well.   
  
Jay nodded in response. "If you end up using Kioto in a Flying gym, you're probably going to lose anyways. Since you want to bring Sachiko onto the team permanently, this will be a good way to get her some easy Exp," he explained.   
  
"Yeah, but Kioto is fully evolved so maybe I should box Akio instead," Touko countered. "He has the same weakness after all."   
  
"But Akio is stronger defensively and can still use the Eviolite," Jay pointed out. "But odds are you won't end up using him anyways. Not with Koki and Kenta as backup."   
  
Touko's hand dropped to her belt, gently rubbing the tops of the balls that housed her new Stoutland and Darmanitan. Without Shun, and with Kei still shunning contact from everyone, using a fully evolved Koki was her best bet at a new badge, especially after he learned both Thunder Fang and Ice Fang. But she would have felt a lot better if Shun had been there. Sighing, she completed the swap of the Sawsbuck for the Tynamo and released the electric eel Pokemon. "Hi Sachiko," Touko said as she crouched down to look her new Pokemon in the eye. "My name's Touko, and I'm your new trainer."   
  
Sachiko eyed her new trainer for a few seconds before responding with a high-pitched cry that made the lights flicker and the PC screen spasm for a few seconds. Mentally filing this as 'report to the Professor later', the brunette ran a hand down the Pokemon's spine. "It'll take some time before you're strong enough to battle, so could you hold this for me?" Touko awkwardly held out the Exp Share, waiting for a bob of approval before draping it around the Tynamo's body. "Just hang onto that and you'll be evolving in no time."   
  
There was a delighted chirring as Touko recalled Sachiko and pressed a hand to her forehead. "The gym battle isn't until tomorrow morning, right?"   
  
"Yeah," Jay confirmed. "Apparently Huuro's out on a job and won't be back until late."   
  
Instantly, Touko pulled out her phone and started scrolling through her contacts. "Then I want to talk to the professor again. Maybe she found something out about Reshiram's location."   
  
Jay frowned. "Didn't you talk to her this morning? And didn't she promise to let you know if she discovered anything?"   
  
"She might have gotten distracted!" Touko protested with a flush, but Jay's flat stare made her sigh and put her phone away. "And calling her is just a distraction at this point. I get it."   
  
Jay hesitated for a second, and then reached out to wrap an arm around her shoulders. Touko just leaned into him, feeling some of the tension drain out of her body. "They'll figure this out, Touko. We'll be alright."   
  
"I just...Even if I get every single badge and get to the league, it won't be enough. N wants _Reshiram_. A Pokemon half of the scientific community thinks is a freaking allegory for the dangers of lies and falsehood. If it is real, then it hasn't been seen in centuries." She glanced up at Jay as a stray thought crossed her mind. "What about you? What do you think about Legendary Pokemon?"   
  
An odd look appeared on Jay's face and then disappeared almost instantly, replaced by a slightly sad expression. "I have no choice, but to believe. Red caught the Legendary Birds of Kanto back before he became champion so there's no reason Reshiram isn't real either."   
  
"Wait, are you saying that Red currently owns three Legendary Pokemon? Why the heck haven't we heard about this, that's huge!" Touko gaped.   
  
Jay shook his head. "He caught them, but he released them almost immediately afterwards. I think it was just a challenge to him. That, or he took Gramps's command about filling out the Pokedex way too seriously," the Kanto native grumbled. "And it was 5; he caught Mew and Mewtwo as well. Apparently found Mew under an abandoned truck of all things."   
  
As her mind whirled with questions of how this major event went unnoticed by most of the scientific community, Touko pulled away from Jay to get a better look at his face. No doubt about it, he was wearing that mixture of resigned and bitter that always showed up when the topic shifted to Red. She pondered pushing for a few seconds before deciding against it. Instead, she took Jay's hand and tugged him towards the door to the Pokemon center. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving! Why don't we check out that pizza place Nurse Joy recommended? My treat!"   
  
The complicated expression was exchanged for an annoyed one as Jay attempted to speed past her. "Oh no you don't! You've treated me way too much during this trip. I'm paying!" Grinning, Touko protested and the pair fell into playful squabbling as the door slid shut behind them. Neither noticed the figure in black watching from the shadows before it vanished in a shimmer of light.

* * *

As the morning sun beat down on her back, Touko gave Koki's rattling Pokeball a soothing rub as she stared at the large warehouse that Huuro used as a gym. She saw Jay's worried expression out of the corner of her eye and gave him a light smile. "I'm fine, Jay. Really."   
  
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You know it's ok if you're not, right?"   
  
"Right now? I can't afford to be," Touko protested as the electronic lock on the sliding door beeped open. Sighing, she squeezed Koki's ball once for luck and entered the warehouse. Huuro was waiting them, wearing a similar flight suit to the one she wore at Celestial Tower. Swallowing down the lump in her throat, Touko strode over to the challenger box to take her place. "Gym Leader Huuro, I'm here to challenge you to a battle."   
  
To her surprise, the Flying type gym leader shook her head. "Touko, this isn't necessary."   
  
"Huh? Are...are you refusing my challenge?" Touko shot a baffled look at Jay, but he looked just as confused as she was. "Can she do that?"   
  
Jay shook his head. "Not unless there are extenuating circumstances, like you're being investigated for Pokemon abuse or something similar. But you're clearly not so there's no reason for her to deny you a gym battle."   
  
Touko paled as she remembered Nimbasa, remembered Touya stilling as the knife pressed against his throat hard enough to draw blood. "Huuro, I _need_ that gym badge. Unless you can provide an actual reason for you to deny my challenge, then send out your first Pokemon." Taking the initiative, Touko released Koki onto the field. The Stoutland barked once before falling into a hunting crouch.  
  
Clearly wanting to be anywhere but here, Huuro shook her head and took a step backwards. "Touko, we don't need to have a gym battle. I'll give you the badge, so we can just walk away."   
  
For a few moments, Touko was tempted. But then she recalled the Shadow Triad, and how N had said they'd be watching her every move. Nervous, she glanced around as though one of them would materialize out of the shadows. Of course, there was no one there. "N said he wanted me to earn the badges. If you just handed it over, they might call foul and..." Touko trailed off and shook her head. "No, I won't accept it. Send out your first Pokemon, now."   
  
Huuro looked like she was going to decline once more before she seemed to think of something. A determined expression came onto her face as she unleased a Swoobat onto the field. "If you insist. Set up with Amnesia, now!"   
  
"Koki, Crunch!" At Touko's command, the Stoutland barked once more and lunged towards the Psychic/Flying type, who was fluttering in place as though confused. He sank his teeth into the Pokemon's side and shook it a few times before tossing it aside. The Swoobat landed with a crash, knocked out by the super effective hit.   
  
"Let's see you try this then. Unfezant, Razor Wind!" The female Flying type briefly touched the field before taking to the air to whip up a whirlwind.   
  
"Thunder Fang!" Touko called out, hoping for a flinch or some paralysis. Electricity sparked between his fangs as Koki latched onto one of Unfezant's wings. Hurt, but not out yet, the Flying type shook him off before returning to charging up the attack. Something sick began brewing in Touko's gut, but she shook it off for now, hoping she was wrong. "Now Return." With a flash of light, Koki leaped into the air and landed hard atop the Unfezant, ending the Razor Wind before it could go off.   
  
"It's not over yet!" Huuro declared as her ace entered the field, a beautiful Swanna who eyed the Stoutland with annoyance. "Let's set up with Aqua Ring!"   
  
Briefly, Touko glanced at Jay, who looked like he'd reached the same conclusion as Touko and was now looking Huuro with undisguised scorn. Sighing, she pressed a hand to her forehead and waved Koki on. "Just use Thunder Fang, boy." One Electric move and it was over, the Water/Flying type lying on the ground with slightly scorched feathers and the smell of ozone in the air. Working up a smile, Touko rubbed the Normal type's ears as he returned to her side, eager for praise. "Yeah, you did good. Such a good boy."   
  
As she recalled Koki to his ball, Huuro approached with a badge in one hand and a TM in the other. "Well, challenger? It looks like you're earned..." She trailed off as Touko fixed her with a furious glare.   
  
"What was _**that?**_ " Touko growled as she fought to keep her tone even. "I thought you were supposed to be the sixth gym leader."   
  
Huuro paled slightly before shaking her head. "I am the sixth gym leader and I..."   
  
"Then what the hell happened during that battle?!" Touko pointed at the Pokeballs on her belt. "You know that Stoutland learns no special moves naturally so Amnesia was a complete waste of a move. Razor Wind has a much faster charge up time and Unfezant is faster, yet Koki was able to get two consecutive hits despite Unfezant not being paralyzed. And then you used _Aqua Ring_ when you saw Koki use _Thunder Fang_ earlier in the battle!" Her hands clenched into fists, Touko briefly exhaled to keep herself from screaming. "Since I wouldn't take the badge without a battle, you decided to throw it. What the hell, Huuro?"  
  
"You already have enough troubles with Team Plasma," Huuro protested, her hands shaking. "I didn't want to add to it and with the added trouble of your Zebstrika, I just..."   
  
"I watched as Touko told you that Team Plasma wants her to earn the badges," Jay commented as he rose to his feet to approach the pair. "How do you think they would have reacted if they found out about this? A Gym Leader is supposed to be a proving grounds for trainers, regardless of outside circumstances." Huuro glanced away and Jay rolled his eyes. "Honestly, you're probably the worst display of a gym leader I've seen in Unova."   
  
"...Yakon was right," Touko whispered, drawing attention to her again. "The circumstances I'm in, they aren't normal. The trainers I'm likely to be facing won't be content with taking my money. At best, they'll kill my brother. At worst, they'll kill me and my team. I can't afford to slack off on any front." She stepped forward and plucked the badge and TM from Huuro's hands. "I'm taking these because I don't have the time to wait and challenge you again. But you're insane if you think I'm counting this as a victory." She laughed as she tucked the items into her bag. "If I really cared about the gym challenge, I would have been so disappointed by this. You better give Cheren a real fight when he comes, he deserves nothing less."   
  
Turning on her heel, she stalked out towards the door with Jay right behind her. "Do you really think she's worse than what happened with Dent?" she muttered under her breath.   
  
Jay immediately nodded. "At least his brothers wanted him to actually fight so that's two thirds who cared. And as temps, you don't expect the same level of professionalism that you do from the sixth gym leader." He reached out to squeeze her shoulder. "Are you alright?"   
  
"I'm pissed, but I'll get over it," Touko sighed as the door slid open. "At least things..." She froze and paled as she spotted N waiting there with that odd smile on his face . "Oh no."   
  
"Hello Touko. I've been waiting for you." N took a few steps forward, his smile fading to a saddened one. "The Shadow Triad informed me of your loss. I'm terribly sorry for Shun's death. Truly a pointless one."   
  
"...Yes, it was." Touko agreed warily. Her hand fell onto Kenta's ball and she noticed Blue was gripping Beast's as well. "What are you doing here, N?"   
  
The green-haired male gave a half-shrug. "Your allies appear to be having difficulties discovering the location of Reshiram. So I am here to give you a clue and a gift."   
  
"What exactly is the price for these?" Jay snarled as he stepped protectively in front of Touko. The question appeared to baffle N as he tilted his head.   
  
"No price. Such a human thing to do. Touko is my queen and thus I will help her." He lifted a hand, cutting off Touko's protest. "Now, after Reshiram and Zekrom decimated the land with their power, they fell into slumber. They were transformed into stones, the Light Stone and the Dark Stone, to rebuild their strength and power in safety. They now sit and wait for chosen heroes to come and awaken them so they can use their strength once more."   
  
"Stones..." Touko muttered. "That would explain why Professor Araragi is having trouble locating them since we've been searching for Pokemon. But how do you know this?"   
  
"Team Plasma has access to many resources," N explained proudly. "You too will gain our knowledge once you reign at my side. But that is for later. Now for your gift." He snapped his fingers, and the gift appeared.   
  
Touko screamed and Jay let out a shout of shock as the Shadow Triad tossed the bloody body at Touko's feet. The man groaned in pain, covered in various knife wounds and his face so badly beaten Touko couldn't recognize him. Not until he spoke, at least. "Help...help me..." the former trainer plead as he stared up at Touko with tear-filled eyes, mouth missing the teeth that Jay had knocked out before. It was him, the man who killed Shun.   
  
"Why...why would you do this?" Touko whispered as she jerked her gaze back to N. "Wh..." she trailed off as N offered a large butcher's knife to her. Instantly, she shook her head and retreated a few steps as Jay released Beast. "What the hell, N?"   
  
N ignored her refusal as he stared at the growling Arcanine. "Oh, what a beautiful creature!" he cooed, offering a hand to stroke. But Beast jerked her head away and snarled furiously. Whatever she said was enough to make N frown. "Hmm..." He glanced at Jay who sneered in response. "How odd. It appears this Pokemon trusts you for some reason. I will have to give this some thought. Now, my queen. Will you kill him and take your vengeance for Shun?"   
  
"Kill...No!" Touko instantly refused. "Of course I won't kill him, what's wrong with you?! And where do you get off asking for vengeance on Shun's behalf? You didn't know him!"   
  
N sighed and shook his head. "I suppose that will have to be part of your training as my queen. But I have business to take care off. We'll see each other soon." He snapped his fingers and two things happened at once. Two of the Shadow Triad grabbed onto N and teleported him away. The third snatched the knife from his king's hands and sliced off Shun's killer's head in one clean motion before vanishing as well. Touko's knees buckled and she fell to the ground, watching as the head bounced a few times before rolling to a stop nearby.   
  
"Fuck," Jay cursed as Beast glanced around, clearly confused as to where N had gone to. He knelt by Touko's side and wrapped an arm around her as he dug out his phone. "911? I need to report a murder."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, if you can't tell, I wasn't happy with how the Skyla battle went. God, at least Burgh landed a hit before going down, and I outsped his entire team as well! Skyla didn't have that excuse, but I thought that I wrote it out pretty well. Koki is being retired again and Sachiko will be joining the team in Shun's place. Sadly, this was my plan before I lost him as well, but I thought he would be able to handle Skyla before being retired.
> 
> N showing up after the Skyla battle to reveal he killed Shun's killer is something that came to me about halfway through the Celestial Tower. Considering that he shows up anyways, I felt it at least gave him a reason to be there. Of course, things are going to get a lot worse now that N has proven he not only is willing to have people killed, but expects Touko to do the same. And now thanks to Beast, Jay is on his radar as well. Oh boy!
> 
> The notes for the battle are below if you want them. Leave a like and a review if you enjoyed this update and see you all next time! 👋
> 
> Everyone is level 35 except Sachiko who is level 32, and Kioto is boxed for now. Koki is up front and holding Bright Powder. Sachiko is still holding the Exp. Share.  
>  Vs. Swoobat, female, and level 33. Amnesia and Crunch OHKO.  
>  Vs. Unfezant, female, and level 33. Thunder Fang and Razor Wind. Return crit KO. Sachiko levels.  
>  Vs. Swanna, female, and level 35. Aqua Ring and Thunder Fang OHKO. Win, with no damage taken.


	26. Chapter 25: The Phone Call

Blue sighed, heavily resisting the urge to check the clock again as he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Despite the police beginning their interviews at around the same time, Touko was still being interrogated 20 minutes after they'd finished with Blue. Honestly, Blue was a little surprised at how seriously they were taking the situation, given that it could easily be summed up as 'a ninja did it'. _Either this happens **far** more often than it should, or the League let them know about Touko,_ Blue thought as he focused on his breathing.  
  
The sound of a whine at his feet made him glance down to see Shadow resting his head on his leg and staring up at him with big red eyes. A small smile crept onto the trainer's face as he reached down to ruffle the Umbreon's ears. "I'm fine, boy." Shadow gave a small huff and tilted his head in a silent demand for Blue to scratch harder. The gym leader chuckled and applied more pressure, earning a pleased moan from his starter. "Still greedy, even after all this."  
  
The door clicked open and Blue instantly rose to his feet as a pair of uniformed officers stepped out. It took a few seconds, but Touko came out as well, face pale and hands twisting together in a clear sign of nerves. She worked up a clearly fake smile as she walked over to Blue and Shadow. "Hey, how long were you waiting?"  
  
"Not long," Blue lied with an easy shrug. He wanted to do something to ease Touko, but she looked so fragile in that moment. Like a single touch could break her. "Did they at least take it seriously?"  
  
Touko gave a short jerk of a nod. "I think this isn't the first death that the Shadow Triad has done. They...they wanted to confirm whether...whether he had attempted to hurt or kill a Pokemon." Blue sucked in a breath. It made a sickening sense, considering N's behavior and Team Plasma's focus on abused Pokemon. "But from what they said, I don't think...the torture was new."  
  
"Hey." Praying to Arceus that he was doing the right thing, Blue pulled Touko into a tight embrace. He mentally gave a sigh of relief when he felt her relax against his chest. "You aren't responsible for this. No doubt N would have found some other reason to kill him anyways. It's not your fault, Touko."  
  
Blue honestly wasn't sure how long they would have stood there if the station door hadn't slid open and a red-faced and gasping Cheren hadn't rushed in. His eyes darted around the room wildly before he spotted the pair and sprinted over to them. "Touko!"  
  
"Cheren!" Instantly, Touko broke away to catch Cheren by the forearms before he face-planted in front of them. "Cheren, what's wrong? Is it Bel? Did something happen to your team?"  
  
"My...Haven't you seen the news!?" Cheren shouted, looking like he was about to shake the girl. "They reported a _murder_ in front of Huuro's gym! You weren't picking up your phone and I thought...I thought..." Touko winced and immediately wrapped her arms around her friend. He clung to her, shaking and trying not to cry. "Fuck, I thought it was you."  
  
"I'm sorry. Cher, I'm so sorry!" Touko apologized. "I just got out of interrogation and I forgot to turn my phone back on. I didn't know the news was already reporting this." She pressed a kiss to his cheek, rubbing her hands up and down the bespectacled boy's back as his trembling began to slow. "I'm really sorry, Cheren."  
  
"I'm sorry too," Blue added as he stood awkwardly to the side. "I've been out of interrogation for a while. I should have contacted you guys to let you know we were safe."  
  
Finally calming down, Cheren stepped back from Touko's embrace and offered a hand that Blue gratefully took. "It's fine. I'm just glad both of you are safe." He pushed his glasses up his nose and glanced from face to face. "So, what the hell happened? Why are you at the police station?"  
  
"I would like to know that as well," a familiar voice commented, making the trio jump. Standing there with a serious look on his face was Champion Adeku. "Hello Cheren, Touko." His eyes settled on Blue and the gym leader fought the urge to squirm. "And I don't believe I caught your name the last time we met."  
  
"...Jay," Blue answered reluctantly, both resentful of the way Adeku hadn't let it go and grateful he hadn't announced his name in front of all these people. "A friend of Touko's."  
  
"A friend, you say," Adeku stated as he ran a hand over his chin. "Interesting. How exactly did the two of you meet?"  
  
"Is this really the time?" Touko interjected, stepping in between the pair to glare at the older trainer. "I thought you wanted to know about Team Plasma, not our history."  
  
"Agreed, we have higher priorities than this right now," Cheren immediately backed her up. "So it was Team Plasma then?"  
  
As Touko quickly went over what had happened after Huuro's gym, Blue kept his gaze on Adeku. The champion appeared to be listening to the girl, but his eyes kept shifting back to Blue. And for the life of him, Blue couldn't understand his angle. Yes, having a former Kanto champion and a current high level gym leader was odd. But that had nothing to do with this situation!  
  
"The cops showed up pretty quickly, especially once Huuro came out and called as well," Touko admitted, rubbing a hand over her arm. "After that, we were questioned until Cheren showed up and..." Her face paled and she pulled out her phone, wincing at the number of missed texts and calls. "I need to call my mom. Cher, can you let Bel and the professor know we're alright too?" Cheren nodded and the pair briefly stepped away to make their calls. Leaving Blue and Adeku alone for the first time.  
  
"...I don't know if you remember me, but we met a few years ago," Adeku began quietly.  
  
Blue snorted, dropping to his knees to rub at Shadow's back so he wouldn't have to look at the Unovan Champion. "I remember. You tried to shove some champagne at me even though I was ten and Steven Stone had to drag you away."  
  
Adeku gave an awkward laugh. "You were standing alone in the corner and I felt bad. It was a celebration after all."  
  
"Yeah. It was." A celebration for Red, not Blue. Swallowing the old bitterness down, Blue kept his eyes locked on the black and gold fur of his Umbreon. "What do you want from me, Adeku?"  
  
"I want to know what the eighth gym leader of Kanto is doing at the side of a girl Team Plasma seems dedicated to bringing to their side. Why your first trip to Unova coincides with the rise of a new terrorist group and you're pretty close to the center." Blue's hands stilled and he looked up to see Adeku staring down at him with an unreadable expression. "Why exactly are you here, _Jay_?"  
  
"You think I'm linked to Team Plasma, is that it?" Blue spat as he stood once more. "This was _supposed_ to be my vacation. A break from battling and training and everyone who only ever looked at me and saw my grandfather. All this?" He waved a hand over the station who mostly appeared to be ignoring the pair. "It's bad luck, plain and simple."  
  
"You had your team brought over recently."  
  
Blue grit his teeth as Shadow began to growl low in his throat. "Considering Team Plasma has just proved they're willing to _murder_ people, I say having some back-up is a good thing, wouldn't you?"  
  
"There have been mutterings that Team Rocket may have been involved as well." Blue stiffened at the old name and Adeku folded his arms across his chest. "If I remember correctly, you were seen fleeing when Team Rocket took over Silph Co. six years ago. A raid that ended when Red..."  
  
" _ **I WAS TEN!**_ " The shout was a surprise even to Blue, wincing as various police officers turned to stare at them. He lowered his voice to a hiss before continuing. "I told the Kanto police all this years ago. I was delivering the Master Ball prototype to them for Gramps and I got caught on the way out." A flash of memory tore through his mind, of a terrified Blue desperately trying and failing to beat a resolute Red, to get him out of Silph Co. with him so they could run for the police. "I wasn't involved with them. And if Team Plasma wants to ally themselves with former mobsters and Pokemon killers, then they're even bigger hypocrites than I thought."  
  
"Jay?" Flinching in surprise, Blue glanced over his shoulder to see Touko standing there, phone in her hand and a gentle look in her eyes. "Mom wants to talk to you."  
  
Touko could have told him that she was running off to join the circus in Hoenn and Blue wouldn't have been more surprised. "Me? Why?"  
  
"You'll have to ask her that." Grinning, she pressed the phone into his hand. "Though maybe you should take it outside?"  
  
"...Yeah, maybe I should." Shooting a final glare at Adeku, Blue strode out with Shadow padding at his heels. He blinked a few times at the afternoon sun before leaning against the wall and pressing the phone to his ear. "Hello?"  
  
"So you're the famous Jay, huh?" A warm voice that Blue could only describe as 'motherly' graced his ear. "I'm Ren, Touko's mother. Glad to finally meet you, so to speak."  
  
"Nice to meet you too, I guess," Blue answered, making her laugh. "Why did you want to talk to me, Mrs. Sasaki?"  
  
"Call me Ren, sweetie. And there's a few reasons for that. The first is I wanted to see how you were holding up." Blue blinked before pulling the phone away to stare at it in shock. "Jay? You still there?"  
  
"Me? But Touko..."  
  
"Touko's been talking to me so I know how she's doing," Ren easily countered his instinctive protest. "And yes, this whole situation has been hard for her. But you're just as involved, sweetie, and your feelings are just as important."  
  
"Why do you care? You don't even know me!" The words were cruel, but they were born from a very real pain. This woman, this _stranger_ , was showing more concern over him than most of the people he'd known all his life.  
  
Instead of reacting with the anger he probably deserved, Ren merely hummed and thought over Blue's question. "Why? Well, you're my daughter's friend so that's a big thing with me. I've been talking to Bel, Cheren, and the professor too and all of them have good things to say about you. I know that even though Touko would have given you an out, you chose to stay and help her with Team Plasma and dealing with Touya, which says a lot about your character. But even without all that?" There was the sound of rustling, as though Ren was shrugging. "I guess I just do. No more, and no less. So, how are you feeling?"  
  
Vaguely, Blue was aware that his knees had given out at some point and he was now sitting with his back pressed against the wall and Shadow's head in his lap. There were a few dark patches on his pants from the tears silently running down his face. "Tired. Angry. ...Scared."  
  
"I know, sweetie. This has been a hard thing for all of you, hasn't it?" Blue knew that she couldn't see him nod, but Ren seemed to know. "Yeah. Jay, I'm going to tell you what I told my daughter about five minutes ago. I will not allow you to sacrifice yourselves for Touya's sake. This is not a trade situation, alright? You both need to take care of yourselves as well."  
  
"I'm not your son though," Blue weakly protested, rubbing his free hand over his eyes.  
  
"No, you essentially are. Ask anyone; I freely adopt my children's friends." The cheerful statement surprised a laugh out of him. "You have people who care about you, Jay. So take better care of yourself so we don't have to worry."  
  
"I'm not used to that," the gym leader confessed. "People don't usually...care about me."  
  
"Then you must have been dealing with the wrong people because I see plenty of reasons to care about you. And we haven't even met in person yet." Ren laughed. "But Jay, there is one other thing I wanted to say. Thank you for looking after Touko. She and Touya are the most important things in my life and it helps me sleep at night knowing you're with her."  
  
Blushing, Blue rubbed the back of his neck. "Touko...she's really important to me."  
  
"You're important to her as well, Jay." That simple statement brought a smile to Blue's face and he fought the urge to bury his face in his hands and squeal. "I'd better let you go, but tell Touko I expect calls from both of you. And make sure to call me before I worry myself sick thinking you got yourself killed in Mistralton of all places!"  
  
"Yes ma'am. And...thank you."  
  
"Thank you, Blue. Talk to you later!" A dial tone ringing in his ears, Blue set the phone aside and sighed. The sound of the door sliding open made him glance over to see Touko stepping out. He held out the phone for her to take.  
  
"So, you don't get to use the 'she doesn't know me' excuse when she says hi to you," Touko teased as she sat down beside him.  
  
"Yeah, guess I don't," Blue mused. "She...she reminds me of you. You're lucky."  
  
"I am, aren't I?" Touko beamed. "Did she tell you you're part of the family now?"  
  
Blue smiled back. "She might have mentioned she adopts everyone you and Touya befriended," he admitted, making Touko laugh again.  
  
"Yeah. Even once you go back to Kanto, you won't escape. You're one of us, now and forever." Touko covered his hand with her own and squeezed it. "And for the record, I never thought you were part of Team Plasma. At least once Cheren becomes Champion, we won't have an idiot helping to run the region."  
  
Blue shrugged. "I mean, I sort of get it. The timing is pretty..."  
  
"Sometimes a coincidence is just that. And it's too late, all my respect for Adeku as a Champion has been completely destroyed. Gone forever, won't be coming back." She lifted a small and familiar blue CD up. "Even this bribe of the Surf HM will not change my mind. There aren't even any water routes coming up!" Her clear indignation made Blue laugh as she rose to her feet and brushed her clothes off. "Anyways, it's too late to travel anymore so we can rest up at the center before heading to Twist Mountain with Cheren in the morning. You haven't developed a taste for something other than pepperoni and peppers, have you?"  
  
"Nah," Blue grinned as he joined her. "That honestly sounds perfect right now."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that basically covered the conversation you have with your Mom on Route 7, the Cheren battle, and picking up the Surf HM. I actually really like Ren as a character so it was only a matter of time before she eventually adopted Blue. It is also likely she would willingly duel Oak for custody of Blue, which I would like to see. Adeku comes out a bit worse here, but he has to look at all the angles and Blue showing up in Unova here and now...it does raise some questions. Pointless questions, but they have to be looked at. Poor Blue.
> 
> Anyways, the Cheren battle is below for those who are interested and leave a like and a review if you enjoyed this update. See you all next time! 👋
> 
> Sachiko is level 34 and everyone else is level 35. Yuma is up front and holding the Eviolite and Sachiko still has the Exp. Share.  
>  Vs. Unfezant, male, and level 33. Taunt and Future Sight. Air Slash and Psybeam with confusion. Detect and Psybeam block and Future Sight Kos.  
>  Vs. Liepard, male, and level 33. Fake Out and flinch. Hone Claws and Brick Break OHKO.  
>  Vs. Servine, male, and level 35. Fire Punch OHKO.  
>  Vs. Simipour, male, and level 33. Leer and Energy Ball. Leer and Faint Attack KO.


	27. Chapter 26: The Preparations

"And...it's another tunnel." Touko groaned and pressed a hand to her forehead as she leaned back against the wall. "He did say it was the second left after the first right, right?"   
  
"That's what I heard," Jay admitted as he joined her. "But he could have been talking about a different floor for all I know. Fifteen minute break for healing?" Touko nodded and immediately started digging through her pack for potions as Jay released Egbert from his ball. "Tired, big guy? Yeah me too," the Kanto native said as he rubbed the central head of the Psychic/Grass type.  
  
Touko was developing an appreciation for forests and trees during this journey. Caves and mountains though, she was starting to dislike a lot. Especially since they were filled with Boldore that took far too long to be beaten and seemed a little too crit-happy with Power Gem. She sighed through her nose as she once again applied a Hyper Potion to Hiroshi's wounds. "I know I said that I liked Sturdy as an ability, but I think I've changed my mind."   
  
The newly evolved Samurott whined and licked her palm as Jay snickered. "I'd offer you Bullet Seed, but I'm pretty sure Kioto can't learn it," he commented as Egbert finished swallowing an Elixer to restore his own Bullet Seed PP. The Exeggutor seemed relatively at home in the dark tunnels of Twist Mountain, much to Touko's surprise. "And hey, at least Hiroshi is fully evolved now."   
  
"I'd have prefered an evolution without a near-death scare," Touko muttered as she rose to her feet and recalled her starter. "I get why this is called Twist Mountain now. I just wish someone had made an actual map of this place to follow instead of us getting lost."   
  
Jay hummed in acknowledgement; the directions they'd received from various defeated trainers had just left the pair more confused. Stumbling around was moving them forward, but they weren't sure how far they were from an exit or if they'd passed one on the way. "If we find one of those open spots, we could take Gale and just Fly to...what was it called? Ic-something..."   
  
"Icirrus," Touko corrected, her palms starting to sweat at the thought. She wasn't fond of heights at the best of times, but on the back of a Pokemon... "And I think we'll be fine. Maybe the exit is just ahead?" Ignoring the confused look that Jay was giving, Touko strode off towards one of the tunnels she was 85% sure they hadn't tried yet. Stepping through, she paused in shock at the sight of a familiar figure in a white cowboy hat. "Gym Leader Yakon? What are you doing here?"   
  
With a grunt, Yakon tilted his hat in greeting. "I own the mining rights to this place, and Adeku sent word that Team Plasma is in the area. Thought it would be a good idea to have an active gym leader at your back." He snorted and shook his head. "Bit odd, considering who you're traveling with after all."   
  
Jay folded his arms across his chest and scowled. "Did Adeku tell you that too?"   
  
"Arty actually." The pair blinked in surprise, making Yakon chuckle. "Apparently he put it together after you two left Nimbasa. Got pretty upset and said that having you," he nodded at Jay, "...helping out is cheating and that you don't deserve your badge. Load of Bouffalant-shit if I ever heard, especially after our battle."   
  
Touko gave a small shrug. "If he wants the badge, he can have it back. But only after we deal with Team Plasma. I don't have the time to challenge him again, even if I wanted to. Besides, he was better than Huuro at least." Something occurred to her and she looked at Yakon with eyes full of hope. "Since you own the place, does that mean you have a map we can use to get out?"   
  
"Considering all the new tunnels that are made by wilds and how old ones collapse every few months, it'd be pretty useless to make one," Yakon drawled, making Touko's shoulders slump in disappointment. "But I can get you out if you want."   
  
"Oh we do," Jay answered for them both. "We've been in this place for about 5 hours now and I'm getting sick of Woobat and Boldore."   
  
"Just wait until winter comes along. That's when all the Ice types come out to play," Yakon quipped before turning and striding further down the hall. "And while I'm leading you out, why don't you tell me about that Huuro battle. Sounds like there's a story there." 

* * *

The fresh air on Touko's face was a blessing after so much time spent underground. She tilted her head back to let the afternoon sun beat down as Jay followed her out of the mountain. "Ah, I love summer. So much sun and warmth."  
  
"And higher risk of skin cancer," Jay added, laughing as Touko shot him a glare. "Hey, I'm just saying. We should probably get to a Pokemon Center though, both our teams are exhausted and I could use a nap."   
  
"And a hot shower," Touko agreed, eager to get the dirt off of her skin. "I really wasn't expecting that to take as long as it did. I just hope that Hachiku is actually in town for a gym battle."  
  
"He's out at the moment, but he'll be back by this evening if you need to set up an appointment, Touko." Touko jumped before the familiar voice fully registered in her mind. Whirling around, she gaped at the sight of Professor Araragi's father. "Professor! What are you doing here in Icirrus?"   
  
Araragi Sr. pounted a bit as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his worn yellow sweater. "Didn't Juni tell you that she asked me for help researching Unova's dragons? Filled me in on everything you've been going through, so how could I refuse?" He grinned and lowered his voice, as though imparting a secret. "And I finally got an excuse to poke around the Dragonspiral Tower! So it's a win for everyone!"   
  
Having one of the brightest minds that Unova had ever produced on her side was comforting. Touko smiled and bowed a little. "Thank you so much for your help." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jay slowly relaxing and removing his hand from his Pokeballs. "Oh, Jay this is Professor Sedorikku Araragi Sr, our Professor Araragi's father. Professor, this is..."   
  
"You don't need to introduce us, Touko," the older male interrupted as he offered a hand to shake. "I've seen enough photos to recognize Agatha's boy. She told me to tell you to call her more."  
  
Cautiously, Jay shook his hand. "Agatha's shown you photos of me?"   
  
"Of course! Everything from school pics to old baby photos for you and your sister. Like that one of you with the stuffed..." Sedorikku grinned as Jay let out a high-pitched noise of pure embarrassment. "I see you know what I'm talking about."   
  
"Can I see them?" Touko asked, now incredibly curious. Jay whirled on her, fear in his eyes and a refusal on his lips before Touko held up a hand to stop him. "Come on! I know that Mom's going to shove a bunch of old photos down your throat the second you meet in person. You aren't the one with documented evidence of your mother's obsession with bowl cuts on toddlers."   
  
Jay's eyes darted to her long brown hair for a few seconds. "A...bowl cut? I honestly can't picture you with that."   
  
Grinning, Touko ran a hand through her ponytail. "My form of teenage rebellion. So, the picture?"   
  
Sedorikku gave a lighthearted shrug. "Sorry, Agatha deals in physical copies only. You'll have to stop by during one of her visits for a firsthand look."   
  
"I'll keep that in mind," Touko promised, shooting Jay a carefree grin as he flushed. "But back to current events, have you figured anything out about Reshiram's location?"   
  
"Well, we've found records stating that the Tower was dedicated to a powerful Dragon that ancient Unovans both worshipped and feared, but they don't use any names so it could refer to Reshiram, Zekrom, Kyurem, or even the original beast," the professor admitted, stroking his goatee. "The Relic Castle was also apparently home to a rare stone that was connected to something, so Juni is checking that one out. And I know that Bel is interviewing Shaga about his ancestors since they supposedly have _some_ connection to the Tao Trio that he refused to mention for _years..._ " He trailed off and shook his head. "Sorry, sore spot. My point is we have some good leads to follow so you just focus on getting your badges and we'll handle the rest."   
  
"But I..." Touko's protest was cut off when she felt Jay take her hand. He shook his head, and she gave a heavy sigh. "Alright. Thank you for everything."   
  
"Anything for one of my daughter's prized interns," Sedorikku waved it off. "Now, you go set up your gym battle. I need to get back to digging. This could result in all the history books being pulled and rewritten. A lifelong goal!" Jay snickered and Touko giggled as Araragi Sr. darted off, heading down the path that lead to the oldest tower in Unova.   
  
"I think I get why Agatha's been friends with him for so long," Jay admitted as the pair made their way towards the Pokemon Center. "But I didn't know she talked about me with him."  
  
"Why wouldn't she?" Touko asked. When Jay just looked away, she sighed and added another punch to Professor Oak's list. "Anyways, after we rest, we should probably do some more training. You said you wanted Sachiko to have evolved for this fight, which is at level 49, so that's close."   
  
Jay nodded. "Yeah, most Ice types tend to be part Water so it'll be good training for her. Kioto can act as backup since..." he trailed off as Touko just stared at him. "What's with that look?"   
  
"Um, Jay? You do realize that Unova has only three Ice types, and they're all _pure_ Ice types, right?" The Kanto native blinked and stared at her so she felt the need to elaborate. "Cryogonal, the Vanillish line, and the Cubchoo line. All pure Ice. I mean, scientists believe that one of the three dragons is part Ice, but I don't think Hachiku would be allowed to use it in a gym battle even if he did manage to catch it so..."   
  
To her surprise, Jay started laughing. "Oh Arceus. Pure Ice? Forget Huuro, you're going to **_destroy_** Hachiku without even trying! You could literally waltz into the gym right now and beat him. Pure Ice, Lorelei's going to flip when I tell her about this."   
  
"Thanks for the confidence boost, but I think I'll train anyways. That way, everyone will be fully evolved except Yuma," Touko decided as she entered the Pokemon Center, a still snickering gym leader at her heels. "Oh, and dibs on first shower."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a bit of a slow update for me because it's a bit of a lull between two rather crazy parts; dealing with the body and the Plasma raid on the Dragonspiral tower. But I feel good about this chapter, especially since Juniper Sr. gets to talk more about Agatha. She really does love Blue and sees both him and Daisy as her grandkids, which is good because they need more than Oak in their lives. And yeah, I have a Naughty Darmanitan and a future Scrafty. Brycen is a gym leader I'm not worried about.
> 
> I actually had to confirm, but Lorelei could easily be a water trainer instead of an Ice trainer. She has 4 of each type! All the Kanto Ice types were dual type, which I think is interesting considering that all of Unova's native Ice types aside from Kyurem are pure Ice. At least Blue got a laugh out of it.
> 
> Next time, we battle Brycen. So leave a like and a review if you enjoyed and I'll see you next time!


	28. Chapter 27: The Resurrection

"Jay? Jay, wake up." Groaning, Blue rolled onto his side and reluctantly opened his eyes. Touko beamed down at him from her own bed. "Hey sleepyhead. It's time for the gym battle."

"Ugh." Blue shot a quick glance at the clock, which read 11:23, and immediately flopped onto his back. "What kind of gym leader sets up battles before midnight? And how are you so cheery?"

"The kind who is also busy with voice-acting and regular acting on top of his gym leader duties. And coffee." The smell of roasted beans hit Blue's nose as Touko waved a cup under his face. "Think this will help?"

For a few seconds, the Kanto gym leader was sorely tempted. But he reluctantly pushed the cup aside. "If I want to get any more sleep tonight, then I should stay away from that stuff." Stifling a yawn behind a hand, Blue sent Touko a mock glare. "And don't keep me up bouncing off the walls once this battle is over."

Grinning, Touko tapped her cup with a finger before taking a healthy swallow. "It's decaf. The smell is enough to get me going for now." She laughed at the disbelieving look on Blue's face. "I'm a lot of things, Jay, but I'm not going to be drinking real coffee this late at night." Bouncing to her feet, she strode over to the front door. "Now come on. If this goes like you think it will, we'll be back to bed before midnight."

"Oh, it will," Blue promised as he followed Touko down the stairs and out into the night, shivering slightly at the crisp air. "They're _pure_ Ice types. You've already won, just need to make it official. I have no idea how this Hachiku managed to make seventh gym leader."

"Probably has something to do with the other top four gyms in Unova all being weak to Ice types," Touko quipped as she scanned her trainer card in front of the gym. "Though there have been rumors going around that Hachiku is looking to retire so he can focus on his acting career instead. Unova could have a big change-up in the League challenge over the next few years." Something appeared to occur to the girl and she glanced at her companion. "Is retiring common for gym leaders?"

"Depends on the reason," Blue grunted as he failed to swallow another yawn. "Kanto has had a few changes since I've been a Gym Leader, with Lorelei and Agatha retiring and Koga's promotion. Not to..." He hesitated, recalling the latest phone call from Agatha. She confirmed there was still no evidence for negligence, but Professor Oak was still putting pressure on the League. "Not to mention gym leaders being pulled for failing in their duties."

"Like Huuro," Touko agreed, reaching out to squeeze Blue's hand. "And unlike you." The simple belief was enough to bring a weak smile to Blue's face. "So, Akio or Kenta up front for this fight?" A few quick changes to the lineup later, the pair approached the ice-covered battlefield where an older gentleman in a blue kimono that left his right shoulder bare. Blue squeezed Touko's shoulder before taking a seat on one of the bleachers, pinching himself to stay awake.

As Touko took her own position, Hachiku grinned at her. "You appear ready to face a Gym Leader. Then... Bring it!"  


* * *

"What did I tell you?" Blue grinned less than 2 minutes later as he rose to his feet. Touko flushed as she recalled Kenta, who was still looking around for more opponents. "Easy victory."

"I didn't think it would go that well," Touko muttered, wincing as her gaze fell on the Beartic-shaped hole made by Kenta's crit Fire Punch into Hachiku's ace's belly. "And I hope that the damages are cheap."

"Ice is easier to repair than metal and mortar," Hachiku commented as he skated over to the pair, badge and TM in hand. "There will be no charges. It was an excellent battle, and this badge was well-earned. Though I must offer my apologies for not being available earlier. Travel delays," he explained with a grimace.

The Unovan girl smiled as she took her prizes and bowed to her opponent. "Thank you sir, especially for seeing me this late. I know you must be busy."

Hachiku shook his head. "Champion Adeku informed us of your circumstances. As gym leaders, we should do all we can to aid you in your..." He trailed off and glanced around a few times.

Touko and Blue shared glances before Blue asked, "Is everything alr-"

"Hsst!" The sharp sound and a lifted hand cut Blue off as the Ice user continued to scan the room. "I know you are there! Why don't you show yourselves?" For a few seconds, there was silence. Then the air shimmered and three familiar figures materialized on the far end of the room.

The middle ninja who always spoke first tilted his head at Hachiku. "... Impressive, Gym Leader of Icirrus City. We, the Shadow Triad, are beings of shadows...and not easily noticed. Our mission was to speak only with her," he nodded at Touko. "But so be it. Ghetsis has a message for you: come to Dragonspiral Tower. It is there that our lord N waits for you. ...Now, our mission is complete." The air twisted and the triad vanished into the night.

"Dragonspiral Tower," Touko whispered, releasing Akio to heal up the only damage received during the battle. "Professor Araragi said that it was a likely spot for Zekrom or Reshiram's stones. You don't think that..."

Blue nodded as he released Shadow and Gale, the second ruffling his feathers at the cold. "Yeah, I do. We need to get to that tower, fast. How far is it?"

"The tower is located just outside of town," Hachiku answered as he skated to the far side of the room to replace his Pokeballs with new ones. "I will accompany you; I don't trust this." Blue nodded in agreement and the trio quickly made their way through the empty streets of Iccirus. Gale, who Blue sent ahead to scout, let out a cry before diving into some trees. The Ice gym leader glanced at Blue. "That is a bad sign?"

"It's not a good one," Blue admitted as he quickened his pace. Rounding a bend, the Kanto native froze in shock at the sight. The remains of a large campsite lay before him, with various workers in labcoats locked in battle with familiar men and women in armor.

"Touko, Jay!" Professor Araragi Sr. stumbled out of the fray, lip bloody and one eye rapidly turning purple. "We got jumped by Team Plasma ten minutes ago when they blew a hole in the tower! The guy you mentioned, the one with the green hair, went inside!"

"N," Touko hissed as she let Hiroshi out of his ball. "Professor, was Touya with him?"

Araragi shook his head. "If he's here, I haven't spotted him. Though there was something with that N guy. A black figure, I couldn't make it out clearly."

"Maybe one of the Shadow Triad," Blue offered, scanning the sky for Gale. He let out a small sigh of relief when the Pidgeot took to the air once more, only to wince when he dropped the unconscious Liepard he'd been carrying. "But right now, we need to get up there. Where's the hole?"

"Eastern side, but there's a big group of them guarding it."

"Allow me." Hachiku flourished and tossed a Pokeball, unleashing an enormous Beartic. He snapped his fingers, and the Ice Pokemon roared as giant icicles dropped from the sky, sending researcher and Plasma scattering. "Go!"

With the way temporarily cleared, Touko and Blue bolted for the hole, Blue whistling for Gale as he ran. The Flying type dove for the pair, allowing Blue to recall his first catch before entering the dark tower. Small holes let in enough moonlight to reveal a large stone path next to a man-made river. "How far do you think they've gotten?" Touko asked as they slowed to pick their way through the room.

"Depends on whether the stairs surviv-GAH!" A large red head covered in spines came charging out of the darkness, claws swiping through the air. Hiroshi and Shadow immediately tackled the beast before it reached their trainers, holding it off long enough for Touko to fling a Quick Ball and catch it. Panting, Blue glanced at the Unovan native. "The hell was that?"

"Druddigon. Dragon type. Pretty uncommon, though I guess they might be partially why it's called Dragonspiral Tower," Touko grimaced as the ball flashed and vanished to her PC. "I don't think the explosion made it very happy." Hiroshi whined and awkwardly pressed his head to her leg, trying not to stab her with his horn. "I'm fine boy. Thank you."

Blue pondered briefly before releasing Beast as well. "Intimidate might help keep them off us," he explained when Touko tilted her head in confusion. "Beast, Shadow, can you track down any other humans that went through here?" The doglike Pokemon pressed their noses to the ground for a few seconds before the Umbreon let out a triumphant bark. Yellow markings glowing, the Dark type lead the way through the shadows until they reached a larger room full of broken columns and lit torches. There was a staircase nearby illuminated by the light.

"At least they're easy to follow," Touko muttered as she and Blue crept carefully up the stairs, wincing as some pebbles were dislodged and plummeted to the ground. "And we know N caught a Fire type recently."

"Or has something that can use a Fire type move," Blue added as he cautiously stepped over a gap in the stairs. He offered a hand for Touko as she crossed as well. "Maybe that's what the Professor saw."

"Wish he had given us a shape or something. There are too many Pokemon in Unova with darker fur or skin. Hell, it could have been a Gothitelle for all we know," Touko complained, rubbing the top of Yuma's pokeball absently. "...Do you think we'll have to fight again?"

"If we do, I'll take it this time," Blue immediately decided. "You've fought him more than enough times. Besides, my team's been cooped up for a while. We need a good fight to get loose again." Shadow yipped in agreement and Beast let out a happy bark, her tail knocking a few bricks free with its wagging. "And it's not like..." The Kanto gym leader trailed off as a familiar scent reached his nose. "Touko, you smell that?"

"Smell what?"

"Ozone." The sharp smell of the air right before a huge thunderstorm. And it only grew stronger as they approached the top of the stairs. Narrower too, and Blue grimaced as he recalled his Pokemon. "Put Hiroshi back in his ball, it gets a bit tight here." Silently, Touko obeyed as the two reached the top of the stairs.

From where they stood, they could see a large open room with the remains on an old altar at the far end. N was there, long green hair waving in the slight breeze and holding a large black stone. His eyes lit up as he spotted them. "Ah, my queen. You have arrived."

Swallowing, Touko took a step forward with one hand on her Pokeballs for safety. "Why did you want me here, N?"

"So you could see the power I have." Beaming, he brandished the stone in his arms. "Zekrom has accepted me as the hero and agreed to fight at my side to free all Pokemon! Now all you have to do is..."

"Hero?!" Touko gaped at the man.

Blue shook his head. "You aren't any kind of hero, N. At least not by any definition I use."

N frowned as he looked at Blue. "Oh. You. I know about you. Your grandfather is a monster, responsible for the enslavement of countless Pokemon for his research and his _Pokedex_." N turned and briefly spat in disgust. "You should be ashamed of your lineage. And yet you do far worse as a Gym Leader."

Rolling his eyes, Blue plucked one of his Pokeballs and lazily spun it on a finger. "I don't really care what you think about me or Gramps. But if you want Touko, you have to go through me first."

N sighed and turned back to Touko. "You will come to me in due time, my queen. For now, I must journey to the Pokemon League and begin preparations for the end. When Zekrom's counterpart, Reshiram, recognizes you, we will finally be equal!" The stone flashed twice with a dark light and N flung it upwards. The air around it pulsed for a brief second and then the stone warped and grew. Thick black legs slammed into the ground seconds before a massive tail landed. A thin waist connected to a large black torso sporting wings and muscular arms, capped by an angular dragon head with dark red eyes. The legendary Pokemon let out a roar, electricity crackling through the air as N easily climbed onto its back. "Until the Pokemon League, my Touko."

Zekrom took to the air and the pair vanished into the night sky. Blue swallowed the lump in his throat before looking at Touko, who was sagging against the wall. "I need to find Reshiram," she whispered, staring up into the darkness. "I...I don't think I can beat that on my own."

"You're not alone," Blue instantly protested, wrapping an arm around her. "You have your team and you have me. Always." Touko instantly turned to wrap her arms around him, and Blue returned the embrace. "With or without Reshiram, we'll stop him Touko. I promise."

He could feel her smile into his chest before she drew away. "I'll hold you to it. But we need to get back down. The League needs to know what happened."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Brycen was incredibly easy. But at least he did some damage, unlike a certain other gym leader I'm still mad at. And N has Zekrom now, which means the hunt for Reshiram has increased in priority. And now hints of a dark figure following N around...who exactly will that be? We'll find out in due time, at least.
> 
> Notes for the Brycen battle are below for those who are interested, and leave a like and a review if you enjoyed and want more! See you next time! 👋
> 
> When Touko and Jay reach Brycen, Sachiko, Kenta, and Akio are at level 39. Everyone else is 38, and Akio is up front. Let’s go.
> 
> Vs. Vanillish, male, and level 37. Brick Break OHKO.  
>  Vs. Beartic, male, and level 39. Fire Punch crit OHKO! So much overkill!  
>  Vs. Cryogonal, level 37. Aurora Beam and Brick Break OHKO. Lost only 19 HP that entire fight and win!


	29. Chapter 28: The Ruins

Several hours after N had taken off on his newly tamed Legendary dragon, Touko slumped onto the lobby sofa and pillowed her face on her arms. She was honestly a bit sick of dealing with the police and all their questions, especially since half of them didn't believe that Zekrom was real and now flying around Unova somewhere. This had resulted in both her and Jay being called back to the station for a second round of interrogations that morning, and Touko hadn't been able to fall back asleep after everything that had happened last night.  
  
The sound of plates clinking together made the girl look up. Jay gave her an awkward smile as he set a steaming mug of coffee and a warm bagel in front of her. "Thought you would be hungry since you didn't eat much this morning," he said as he took a seat beside her and bit into his own food.   
  
Touko took her own bite and had to fight back a moan. It was a simple plain bagel with some melting cream cheese, but it was the most delicious thing she could remember tasting at that moment. Hastily swallowing, she commented, "I need to find whoever made this bagel and marry them immediately."   
  
Jay snorted. "Pretty sure that's the hunger talking, Touko." The Unovan trainer merely grunted in response as she devoured her meal. "Anyways, where to now?"   
  
Wiping some cream cheese off her lip with a thumb, Touko gave a small shrug. "I doubt the stone that holds Reshiram is still in the tower since N probably would have mentioned it, or just handed it over last night. There's a set of ruins that were recently located underwater, but that's all the way on the other side of Unova and we just don't have the time to get there." Frowning, she took a healthy gulp of her coffee. "Honestly, my first thought goes to the Relic Castle back in the Desert Resort, but it's practically been picked clean by now. We've had decades of time and dozens of experts examine the site from top to bottom. Either it's somewhere literally _everyone_ missed or it's in a private collection somewhere."   
  
The Kanto native thoughtfully stirred his cup of tea. "In that case, maybe it would be best to talk to some of the people running the site. They probably have a list of all the items taken from the site recorded and their whereabouts. Who would that be?"   
  
"Right now? The Nacrene Museum. I think they purchased the rights about...fifteen years ago?" Touko guessed. "It was a big deal since the site was endorsed by this really rich private collector and they had to actually go to court to settle it all. Lots of rumors about the local ghost types cursing him for not showing any respect to their remains, things like that." She shrugged and grinned playfully. "But as I was an infant at the time, I didn't really have an opinion on it."   
  
Jay snorted and opened his mouth to respond, but then the door to the Pokemon Center open and two familiar men came striding in. Cheren gave a small sigh of relief as he hurried over to take a seat next to Touko while Professor Araragi Sr. just ambled along. "I feel like I need to tie myself to you. Why is it that every time I leave you alone recently, you get involved with Team Plasma?" the bespectacled boy complained, throwing his hands up dramatically.   
  
"Probably because their ' _king_ ' is stalking me," Touko retorted with a roll of her eyes. "How did your battle with Hachiku go?" Jay snorted once more and Touko fixed a glare on him. "Don't you start, Jay."   
  
"I'll say it again; _pure Ice types_. Ice is terrible as a defensive typing," Jay countered. "I'm sure you did fine, Cheren."   
  
Cheren flushed pink and started toying with his badge case. "I mean, Iwa really did help a lot though we did have a scare with the Beartic. But I have seven badges now, same as you."   
  
"Which is all well and good," Sedorikku interjected. "But right now, we need to locate the Light Stone. With Zekrom out there," he glanced out the window at the dark clouds covering the sky and shuddered. "We need all the power on our side that we can handle."   
  
"We were just talking about that," Jay pointed out, setting his drink aside and resting his chin on his hands. "Touko mentioned the Relic Castle and I thought we could visit Nacrene and check the records of what items were brought out."   
  
The professor snorted. "Kid, it's a rock. What do you think, that a bunch of scientists and archaeologists removed a single rock from an excavation site? Maybe because it looked pretty or something? No, if it's at the Relic Castle, then it's still there." He glanced at Touko and grinned. "And if this N guy is right about you, maybe it will react to your presence."  
  
A tiny ball of terror was beginning to build in Touko's gut. "But it would take us at least two weeks to get back on foot and I don't have any Flying types big enough to carry me."   
  
Jay snorted once more. "Is this really a problem?" he asked when everyone shot him confused looks. "Pidgeot can reach Mach 2 speeds and Gale is more than strong enough to carry both of us. We'd probably have to land in Nimbasa since I don't trust the sandstorm, but he'll get us there in a couple of hours."   
  
Touko could feel her face going pale and Cheren snickered behind her back. Professor Araragi Sr. glanced back and forth for a few seconds before slapping his fist on his palm. "Oh right! I forgot you had that irrational fear of flying, Touko."   
  
"The fear of falling from a great height and ending up as a squished puddle of flesh and bones on the ground is a perfectly _rational_ fear, Professor Araragi," the girl hissed as Cheren's laughter grew louder. Thankfully, Jay just ignored it as he reached out and grabbed her hand.   
  
"Touko, do you trust me?" Warily, Touko nodded. "Gale has been flying me around for 6 years now. He's well trained and he's never let me fall. You'll be safe with us, Touko. Promise." The smile he gave her just made Touko feel guilty and she groaned.   
  
"Fine, I'll do it. But if I die out there, I'm recruiting an army of fellow ghosts to haunt you for the rest of eternity."

* * *

"I never thought I'd be glad to see this place again," Jay commented as the pair brushed sand out of their clothes. The Relic Castle was a welcome refuge from the eternal sandstorm churning outside. "Think the Light Stone is really here?"   
  
"If it isn't, I'm going to have to write the professor an apology when I murder her father," Touko grumbled. She glared when Jay stifled a laugh behind his hand. "Don't you laugh at me, flying is terrifying!"  
  
"I just wasn't expecting you to start reciting the periodic table as a coping mechanism," the gym leader protested as he cheerfully followed her deeper into the catacombs. Touko huffed, her mind flashing back to chanting alkaline and transition metals into Jay's back while they flew, eyes squeezed tightly shut for the whole flight. "And you know that Gale was working pretty hard to keep things as smooth as possible for you."   
  
"...I know," Touko admitted. The Pidgeot had looked incredibly guilty when they'd landed in Nimbasa, offering soothing coos as Touko struggled to regain her composure. "It's not his fault. Could you help me pick out a gift for him later? As an apology?"   
  
"He'd like that," Jay agreed with a fond smile as they picked their way down a cracked flight of stairs. "How deep does this place go anyways?"   
  
"We're not sure," the Unovan girl admitted. "There have been at least 6 floors recorded, but there could have been more and the desert just swallowed them up. If the professor is right, maybe the Light Stone is just buried under a ton of sand." She grimaced at the thought. "If it is, it could takes months to find it. ...And N isn't likely to wait that long."   
  
"Hey." Touko glanced back as Jay gently squeezed her shoulder. "You don't need a Legendary to beat one. Red proved that every time. If we can't find it, we'll just need another plan." Frowning, Jay glanced at the pocket of her bag that held the Pokedex. "I'll have to go over what TMs everyone can learn, but we should be able to figure something out."   
  
Impulsively, Touko pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you, Jay. I wouldn't have been able to get this far without you."   
  
Flushing, Jay glanced away with one hand still rubbing the area she had kissed. "You would have been fine," he muttered, making her grin.   
  
"Hey!" The sudden shout made the pair jump as a familiar man with wild red hair leaped down the last few stairs. "What are you two doing?"   
  
Touko frowned at Unova's champion, still angry about what he'd said to Jay the last time they met. "Having a picnic, what do you think we're doing here?"   
  
Adeku scowled at her. "I think that attempting to unleash the second legendary dragon that almost destroyed the region centuries ago isn't the best idea. If N wants to meet you at the Pokemon League, then he'll have to get through the five toughest trainers Unova has to offer. There's no reason for this hunt."   
  
"You think he hasn't planned for that?" Jay growled, folding his arms across his chest. "Whatever Team Plasma has planned has been going on for years. They probably have plenty of strategies in place to handle you and the Elite 4. And that's if N even bothers to battle you in the first place and doesn't let his grunts battle you instead."   
  
"Listen here, boy," the champion snarled. "I've been champion for 16 years and before that, I was member of the Elite 4! Do you honestly believe that someone like this N who doesn't have a single badge is good enough to defeat me?"   
  
"Our king has no interest in you. He has already determined that victory against you is assured." The simple statement made the three whirl around to see Ghetsis standing on the far end of the room, hands folded over the top of his cane. He eyed Adeku with a sneer. "You are nothing more than a stepping stone on our king's path to greatness."   
  
There was a flash of red and Adeku's famous Volcarona spread its wings and hissed as it waited in a battle ready position. "As a member of Team Plasma, I'm placing you under arrest." Adeku boasted.  
  
"I have committed no crimes," Ghetsis countered smoothly. "I am only here on Lord N's behest to deliver a message." He stared at Touko, who was gripping Hiroshi's Pokeball like it was a lifeline. "The Light Stone you seek is not here."   
  
Chewing her lip, Touko decided to risk a question. "Why are you helping me? You've made your opinion of me perfectly clear."  
  
"It is my lord N's thought that the two holders of the legendary Pokémon should work together to lead the region into a new golden age," the man answered with a sigh. "Though I personally believe it would be best if Lord N were to control both Zekrom and Reshiram alone, he sincerely believes you worthy of a place at his side. Therefore, I must obey." He glanced at Adeku and smirked. "Though I have another reason for being here. I'm making sure the Champion doesn't get hurt for no reason. Granted, the moment when someone loses all hope... I really do love to watch that moment. Well then, farewell." With a swish of his cape, the air shimmered and Ghetsis vanished.   
  
For a few moments, there was silence, though Touko thought she felt something brush her side. But that was quickly forgotten as her phone blared out, letting her know she'd gotten a text. Quickly she scanned the message and scowled. "We need to get to Nacrene. Bel says they found the Light Stone."   
  
"What?!" the two men yelped in unison as Touko pressed a hand to her temples.   
  
"Yeah. Apparently it was stored in the back of the museum after it was dug up back in the 80s. That means more flying." She shuddered. "How long will it take to fly to Nacrene from here?"   
  
"About an hour, maybe less," Jay promised as Adeku scowled and stalked back towards the stairs. "Think you can handle it?"   
  
Touko shivered at the thought of more flying, but nodded in determination. "I'll have to. Let's go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didn't realize before writing this that Alder is a bit of a dick in this story. At least N eventually crushing him will be more cathartic that way. I also added in Touko's fear of heights after I realized that other than these two scenes, I never used Fly. Unova doesn't really need you to and with Touko not having a Flier like I normally do in nuzlockes, I just decided to make it so she has a fear of flying. Unlike Blue, since Pidgeot has been his signature Pokemon for a while. If you liked the update, leave a like and a review and I'll see you next time! Bye!


	30. Chapter 29: The Call-Out

Blue could still remember their first flight. It had been rather clumsy as Gale had literally just evolved into Pidgeot and Blue had no idea where to position his legs so they wouldn't block the Pokemon's wings, but that feeling of soaring through the sky was one Blue would never take for granted. Over the past six years, the Kanto gym leader had become sort of an expert on flying, in his own opinion, and Gale had become incredibly proud of his own abilities.  
  
Which was why both were feeling more than a little guilty over the reactions of their fellow passenger. Touko, eyes sealed tightly and arms locked around Blue's waist, had moved on from the periodic table and was now...going over the steps to making a baking soda volcano? Biting his lip to keep from snickering, the trainer pressed his knees a little tighter against the Pidgeot, urging him to pick up the pace a little. The trip from the ruins to Nacrene thankfully wouldn't take as long as their earlier flight, but all of them wanted to end this as soon as possible.   
  
As they circled over the warehouses looking for a good landing spot, Blue spotted a familiar figure in a green hat waving up at them from the front of the musuem. "At least she's easy to spot," he muttered as he guided Gale downwards towards the blonde. When clawed feet safely touched the ground in front of the Pokemon Center, Blue covered Touko's hands and squeezed them. "We've landed, Touko."   
  
There was a brief pause before the girl quickly untangled her hands and scrambled off the bird Pokemon's back. "Oh thank Arceus," she whispered as her feet hit solid earth once more. "I really don't understand how people can enjoy that."   
  
"Personal preference, I suppose," Blue snarked as he slid off Gale's back. The Pidgeot let out a sad chuff and cautiously hopped towards Touko, head lowered in apology. Touko's eyes softened as she gently stroked his head.   
  
"It's not your fault, Gale. I'm sorry I'm a lousy passenger," Touko apologized before leaning forward to press a kiss to his beak. "Thanks for taking care of me." Gale perked up and let out a happy chirp that had Blue chuckling before he recalled his first catch to his ball. Touko gave him a sheepish smile. "I really need to get him something nice, don't I?"   
  
"We'll find something later," Blue promised as he spotted Bel rushing over. "We have other things to do right now."   
  
"Yeah," the brunette agreed before being tackled by her blonde friend. "Hey Bel. How are things with your dad?"   
  
"Touko!" Bel whined as she clamped her arms tighter around her friend. "I can't believe you! I had to hear all about what's happened from _Cheren_ , and you know how bad he is with stuff like that! And you flew here; you hate flying! Your own mother couldn't get you a Flying Pokemon!"   
  
"Yeah, thanks for reminding me I have aerophobia, Bel," Touko grumbled as she returned her friend's embrace. "And the last time you tried to get me on a Flying type, Team Plasma wasn't involved." She caught Blue's eye and smiled. "Besides, Gale's a better flier than that Unfezant was. Didn't Cheren fall off three times?"   
  
"That was Cheren's own fault," Bel sniffed as she reluctantly pulled away. "So...was it all really that bad? Cheren wouldn't elaborate and I'm honestly not sure if it's because he's trying to protect me or he doesn't think it's important."   
  
Touko and Blue exchanged glances before the brunette sighed. "Yeah, it's bad. N apparently controls Zekrom, which is a huge point for Team Plasma. Your text said you'd found the Light Stone though?"   
  
The blonde brightened as she lead the pair back towards the museum. "Apparently it was a part of an old shrine discovered back in the late 80's. There were a ton of ancient runes written in a text even older than Ancient Unown, but there was some success with translation. Something about the 'light of truth' and 'fire to purify the shadows of greed', stuff like that." Bel huffed in annoyance. "We can't really tell if they're being literal or it's a translation issue on our side."   
  
"Maybe a mixture of both," a familiar voice offered as Aloe and Kidachi stepped outside, a large white stone cradled gently in the curator's hands. "After all, most religious sites tend to lean towards the poetic."   
  
"Which makes things a lot more interesting for archaeologists like us," Aloe added with a laugh. "It's good to see you again, Touko. You too, Jay."   
  
Blue nodded, his eyes never leaving the stone. "So, you believe that's the Light Stone we're supposed to find?"   
  
Aloe nodded. "Reshiram is usually associated with the color white, fire, and the idea of truth. Combined with you saying that N produced Zekrom from a dark stone, the similarities are too close to ignore." She grimaced and glanced back at the Nacrene Museum. "Which is why we're doing this out here. If this works, I'm not letting a dragon destroy priceless artifacts just because it decided to hatch from a rock."   
  
"WAIT!" A sudden shout made everyone glance up as Adeku dropped down from his Volcarona to land in a crouch beside Bel. Blue bit back a snicker, smug at the realization Gale was faster than Adeku's Pokemon despite carrying an extra passenger. Rising back to his full height, Adeku glared at Aloe. "Gym Leader Aloe, do you realize what you're doing?"   
  
"Giving Touko the best weapon we have to stand against a Legendary Pokemon that according to myths completely destroyed Unova?" Aloe asked, making Kidachi groan and bury his face in his hands. "If you're thinking of trying to stop me, you can't. The Light Stone is Nacrene Museum property and as one of its main curators, I have the autority to do whatever I please with it."   
  
"Touko will not be handling the dismantlement of Team Plasma," Adeku hissed through gritted teeth. "This is a job for the Pokemon League to handle."  
  
"Oh, fuck you, Adeku." Kidachi yelped in shock and Aloe sighed as she looked at her husband. "Look, I'm running on 4 hours of sleep and at least 6 and a half cups of espresso. I still have papers to peer review and applications to go over, I'll likely have gym trainers to face, and I haven't had a day off in months. So I will say fuck you to whomever I wish. So Adeku, fuck you."   
  
Bel's hands flew to cover her mouth as her eyes darted from sputtering champion to gym leader, and Blue wisely avoided looking at Touko. If he did, he knew neither of them would be able to keep from laughing. Grinning smugly, Aloe gently placed the stone in Touko's hands. "Take good care of it, Touko," Kidachi managed to choke out. "It's still Nacrene Museum property."   
  
Touko silently nodded as she ran a hand over the polished stone. "I will, I promise. And thank you."   
  
Blue stepped closer to examine the Light Stone. "So, how exactly do we wake Reshiram up? Do you feel anything, Touko?"   
  
The girl shook her head. "Not really. And nothing started talking to me telepathically, which I think is a good thing?" Sighing, Touko carefully tucked it away into her bag. "We'll have to look into it later. I still have the last badge to get anyways."   
  
Adeku, finally regaining his composure, wiped his mouth and sighed. "Guess there's no choice. Talk to Shaga and Iris when you reach Opelucid. If there's anyone who'll know about these dragons, it's probably them." He snapped his fingers and his Volcarona fluttered down so he could scramble onto his back. "But stay away from the Pokemon League! If Team Plasma gets their hands on both dragons, nothing will stop them!"   
  
Blue grimaced as he watched the champion soar off into the sunset. "He does realize that N won't be attacking the League unless you're there right? Even if he has to drag you there himself?"   
  
"I think he's convinced himself otherwise," Touko admitted, running a hand through her hair. "So, now we have to get to Opelucid. Which means..." She shuddered. "More flying."   
  
Blue wrapped an arm around the shaking girl's shoulders. "Want to take a break for an hour? Grab something to eat?"   
  
Touko shook her head. "I'd just throw it up anyways. Let's get this over with." 

* * *

"It looks like your Pidgeot will only require a few hours rest," the Pokemon nurse concluded as she took Gale's Pokeball. "His wings are a little sore from overuse, but he's strong so there's minimal chance of any injury. I would try not to ride him for a few days though, to make sure he gets enough rest."   
  
Blue nodded in understanding. "Yeah, we'll be walking for the next few days anyhow. Thank you." His concerns about Gale eased, Blue headed down the hall towards the room he and Touko would be sharing. A rolling fog had prevented any flight into Opelucid itself, so the pair had decided to spend the night back in Icirrus before walking in the next day. It would also give Touko a bit more time to train her Pokemon, considering that the final gym was for Dragon types.   
  
_Dragons, huh?_ As he dug in his pockets for his room key, Blue mentally pondered strategies for handling Dragon types. If what he remembered was right, they used pure Dragon types which Touko's team didn't really have the means to deal with. "Maybe something with Kioto or Kenta," he mumbled as he opened the door and flopped down onto the unclaimed bed. He vaguely registered the sound of the shower as his mind toyed with plans for the final gym. It was because of this distraction that when his phone rang, Blue answered the call without checking the caller ID. "Hello?"   
  
"Ah, so you've finally accepted my call." The familiar voice made Blue's eyes fly open and instantly sit up. "I would have thought you'd have plenty of time, considering you're off gallivanting in Unova of all places."   
  
"...Hey Gramps. Why are you calling?" Blue asked quietly, watching his free hand shake for a few seconds before squeezing it into a fist. "I've been here for almost a month now."   
  
There was a drawn out sigh and the sound of a desk chair leaning back. "Which is exactly my point. You have responsibilities in Kanto that you're clearly avoiding for some unknown reason. Perhaps it's that girl you've been traveling with? Did you get her pregnant?"   
  
"WHAT?!" The completely out of the blue question left Blue stunned. "Why would you...She's a...Wait. How the hell do you know who I'm traveling with?" For a second, his mind leaped to Agatha before immediately discarding it. She wouldn't have talked to his grandfather about this.   
  
"Champion Adeku gave me a call a little while ago, asked about your trip. I was quite surprised as I was unaware that you'd left the region." Professor Oak clicked his tongue. "Quite a few trainers are unable to challenge the League as they can't get your gym badge after all. I thought you were better than this."   
  
"...Are you serious right now?" The laugh that escaped was harsh and angry. "The only reason I came to Unova in the first place was because the League had to review me! Because _**you**_ accused me of negligence! You're seriously scolding me for something that was your fault?!"   
  
"I was under the impression that if the League was performing an investigation, they would be handling it properly." Samuel sighed once more. "Of course, they did hire you in the first place over..."   
  
"WOULD YOU STOP COMPARING ME TO RED FOR ONE FUCKING SECOND!?" A lifetime of rage and misery came welling up in one yell, cutting off the famous Pokemon Professor for the first time in years. Blue angrily began to pace, unaware that the shower had turned off. "I get it, Red's your fucking favorite. You've always liked him over me, ever since we were in fucking grade school! Every single thing I succeeded at, you would always compare it to Red and find _something_ I was lacking in. And Arceus forbid I _fail_ , because then you were even worse!" Vaguely, Blue felt tears running down his cheeks and hastily wiped them away. "I thought that it was over, that I could live with it because I was doing something important, something that would _finally_ make you proud of me. And then you go behind my back to get me fired for negligence when you _know_ I've done nothing wrong!"  
  
"As a Pokemon Professor and a concerned citizen, I felt it was my duty to ensure the right person was..."   
  
"If Red wanted to be a part of the League, he could have just stayed Champion back when we were ten," Blue cut him off once more. "Or even rechallenged the League! Or fuck, maybe tried to step in now that I've been gone all this time. But guess what? **_He didn't!_** Did you even bother to ask him what he wanted?"   
  
"Hold your tongue, Blue," Samuel scolded, as though Blue were still 5 and desperate for his grandfather's approval. "It is clear to me that you haven't grown up after all these years. Still throwing a tantrum when things don't go your way."   
  
"A tan...You think this is a fucking _**tantrum?!**_ I have every right to be angry with you when you tried to ruin my life! I'm your _grandson!_ So why the hell do you act like Red is?!" The question tore itself free from Blue's heart, where it had been buried ever since they were kids. Because that's how it felt, that Blue was the stranger to his own kin and Red the beloved child. What made Red so much better than Blue?   
  
To his surprise, his grandfather answered the question. "Because Red has never disappointed me." The flat statement, as though Oak believed it to be completely obvious, tore through Blue like a knife. He shoved the phone away briefly, choking down the sobs desperate to come out while the professor continued as though nothing was wrong. "Now, if you could finish this foolishness and return to Kanto, perhaps we could discuss this like-" _*CLICK*_  
  
The sudden silence made Blue blink as Touko lifted her hand from the phone. "It didn't seem like he had anything important to say, so I thought it was best to hang up," she explained with a small smile. "You want to block him, so he can't call back?" Blue gave a jerky nod, and Touko gently took his phone to do just that. "What a sanctimonious ass," she muttered before setting it down on the bedside table and turning back to Blue. Her eyes were soft and kind as they met his. "What do you need me to do?"   
  
And that's when the dam broke. Blue lunged for Touko, clinging to her like a lifeline as he sobbed into her shoulder. The Unovan girl just held him, stroking his back and letting him cry his heart out. Eventually, his tears subsided and it was just the two of them, standing in the middle of the hotel room, holding each other. The anger and misery had faded a bit beside the huge embarrassment that had built a home in Blue's gut. "Shit. Sorry," he mumbled, face still pressed against her shoulder.   
  
"Don't be. If it had been my dad on the line and he said those things, I'm pretty sure I would have done a lot worse. Like, hole in the wall we'd have to pay for worse." The bad joke earned a chuckle, which made Touko smile before pressing her lips agaist his cheek. "He never deserved you, Blue. Never has, and never will."   
  
Blue blinked a few times. "I think that's the first time you used my name. My first name, I mean." Touko hummed, a hand coming up to run through his hair.   
  
"Well, it felt needed right now."  
  
"...I don't want to go back." The confession had been building up for days, but Blue felt lighter for saying it. "Fuck, I don't want to go back to Kanto."   
  
"Why do you need to?" The simple question made Blue pull back a bit as Touko gave a shrug. "Blue, you're an amazing trainer and a gifted scientist. You don't think plenty of regions would fight to have you represent them in some capacity? If you don't want to stay in Kanto, then don't." She gave him a silly grin. "Besides, Mom has basically adopted you anyways. You could always stay with us until you figure out what you really want."   
  
A weak smile tugged at his lips before Blue let his head rest on her shoulder once more. "Touko, thank you."   
  
"Hey, we're there for each other. That's just how it works."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was a fun update to write. Especially since I was worried about a power outage the entire time. Fun! Touko has her Light Stone, and Blue finally had his say against his grandfather. His comment about how Red was treated more like Oak's grandson than he was is something that I feel does come across in the games as well. If they'd made him the player's grandparent instead of the rival's...I'd probably have far less complaints about him. But I digress.
> 
> There was a Bel battle, but it didn't make sense to write about. I posted it below for those who are interested though. Leave a like and a review if you enjoyed and I'll see you next time! 👋
> 
> Yuma and Sachiko are level 39, and everyone else is level 40. Akio is up front.
> 
> Vs. Stoutland, female, and level 38. Work Up and Brick Break. Retaliate and Brick Break. Full Restore and Brick Break. Retaliate to 21 HP and Headbutt. Moomoo Milk and Retaliate. Brick Break KO. Akio levels.  
>  Vs. Emboar, male, and level 40. Surf OHKO.  
>  Vs. Simisage, male, and level 38. Fire Punch OHKO.  
>  Vs. Musharna, female, and level 38. Crunch and Defense Curl. Full Restore and Crunch. Crunch and Defense Curl. Strength KO. Win.


	31. Chapter 30: The Gym Battle

Touko had to pause and blink a few times as she took her first steps into Opelucid. The city was rather unique in design, a mixture of futuristic technology blended with ancient stones that were supposedly from the original buildings themselves. The electric teal color clashed somewhat with the pale brown of the sandstone, which made it hard to focus at times. Jay gave a wince as his eyes darted from building to building. "Who or what was in charge of designing this place?"   
  
"The dangers of compromise," Touko replied as the pair made their way down the street. "Opelucid is one of the oldest cities in Unova, but it's also home to a lot of tech cooperations who really like to experiment sometimes. The older generation wanted to keep things traditional, the newer ones wanted the benefits of modern technology and..." She waved a hand over a large and time-worn statue of what looked to be a Druddigon flanked by two high-tech vending machines, "...You can see the result."  
  
"Beginning to wish I couldn't," the Kanto native muttered as he scanned the area. Touko fought back another quip as she took in the exhausted form of her traveling companion. The fallout from dealing with his grandfather had yet to finish, and Jay had clearly gotten less sleep than he should have. Her concern must have shown on her face as Jay turned back to shoot her a weak grin. "I'm fine, Touko. Really, I am."   
  
"It's okay if you're not though," Touko protested, reaching out without thinking to grab his hand. "You know that, right?"   
  
His eyes dropped down to their entwined fingers before meeting hers again. "Yeah, I do." He squeezed her hand briefly before letting it drop. "So, Adeku said we should meet with the gym leader?"  
  
Touko nodded, letting the earlier topic drop as she pointed towards the Pokemon Center. "According to Bel, Iris said she'd be meeting us there to take us to Shaga. Hopefully he'll have some idea of what to do with this." She tapped the pocket of her bag containing the Light Stone, which had yet to respond to anything either of them had done. "I'm a little concerned that N had it so easy with Zekrom though."   
  
"Zekrom's related to idealism, right?" Jay asked. "I think that's a lot easier to prove than truth." Touko gave a hum of acknowledgement as the two entered the red-roofed building. A familiar girl with dark purple hair glanced up from her phone and waved them over.  
  
"Hi Touko, Jay. It's great to see you again!" Iris cheerfully bounced over to the pair, glancing around eagerly before her face fell. "Oh. Bel didn't come with you."   
  
Touko couldn't help grinning at the clear disappointment on the Dragon trainer's face, and she could see Jay covering a snicker out of the corner of her eye. "Sorry, Iris. Bel stayed in Nacrene to help research the Light Stone. I'd say she says hi, but I know you two have been texting."   
  
"Uh..." If the girl's skin wasn't so naturally dark, Touko was sure Iris would be as red as a Tamato berry right now. "Sh...Shaga! He's waiting for us at his house! Follow me!" Iris scurried out the door, leaving a bemused Jay and a giggling Touko to trail after her. Thankfully, Shaga's house was just far enough that Iris's face had cooled down by the time they reached it. "Shaga, we're here!"   
  
A older gentleman with a rather impressive beard gave a hearty sigh as Iris dropped down on the couch beside him. "Iris, I believe I have told you many times to knock before entering my home." He cautiously eyed Jay and Touko before nodding. "Ms. Sasaki, Mr. Oak. Welcome to Opelucid. Please have a seat, we have much to discuss."   
  
"I wasn't aware you knew who I was," Jay stated warily as he sank down into one of the chairs the gym leader offered. "Unless Adeku was in contact with you?"  
  
Shaga sighed and nodded. "He felt it was best I knew everything I could about the two of you. Though I fear he overstepped his bounds in your case," he acknowledged. "However, I believe we have more important things to discuss. You have acquired what you believe to be the stone housing the dragon Reshiram, correct?"  
  
Swallowing, Touko nodded before reaching into her bag. Drawing out the pearly white stone, she placed it in the center of the coffee table. Iris immediately leaned closer as Shaga nodded. "We were hoping you might have some advice for how to awaken Reshiram. With Zekrom already active and bound to Team Plasma..." the girl trailed off, shaking her head. "We could use all the help we could get."   
  
The Opelucid gym leader leaned back in his chair and sighed. "I wonder if that would truly be the wisest option. I assume you know your Unovan history." Touko grimaced and nodded while Jay glanced from face to face in confusion. Thankfully, Shaga was quick to notice this. "Mr. Oak, what you may be unaware of is that Reshiram and Zekrom used to be the same Pokemon."   
  
"Wait, what?" Jay frowned at the stone. "How did one Pokemon split into two? And remain completely sane?"   
  
"Three actually," Iris corrected, bouncing a little on her seat. "The original dragon Pokemon worked alongside two twin brothers to found the Unova region and help it prosper. But they couldn't agree on the proper way to rule and the dragon split into three when they couldn't reconcile."   
  
"Indeed. Reshiram sided with the elder brother, who sought a world of truth. Zekrom joined the younger brother to help create a world of ideals. And the former body of the original dragon, which became known as Kyurem, vanished." Shaga lifted a hand to gently touch the Light Stone. "With a dragon on both sides, the two brothers rallied armies and went to war. But because the two of them were once the same entity, their battle raged endlessly and neither one could be declared the winner. They simply exhausted themselves."  
  
"And nearly wiped out Unova in the process," Touko added quietly. "Even when both sides made peace, their children just took up the fight once more. And then the dragons just vanished. Either they were sealed away or they sealed themselves into the stones so that no one could use them again."   
  
Hissing out a breath, Jay leaned back in his chair and pressed his fingers to his temples. "So this story is common knowledge. Then why would Team Plasma, and N, want both dragons?"   
  
"Arrogance is a common flaw of humanity," Shaga mused without humor. "They believe they can control these dragons, and thus the people will not try to stop them for fear of annihilation." Pale yellow eyes met Touko's without flinching. "If you awaken this dragon, Ms. Sasaki, you may be playing right into their hands."   
  
"...I know." Touko admitted. "But they have my brother, and they want me to awaken Reshiram. If I have to, I'd rather have it on my side than Team Plasma." She gently picked the Light Stone back up and stored it away. "So any advice you could give us would be very helpful."   
  
Shaga stroked his beard thoughtfully as he eyed the Unovan girl. "Perhaps I have some ideas, though none are guarantees. However, there is one other thing we must discuss. You will need to reach the Pokemon League, and that will require my gym badge." He turned to eye Jay for a few seconds before rising to his feet. "You will have your information after you defeat me, and you will enter my gym alone."   
  
"What?" The question flew from Touko's mouth as she stared up at Shaga. "Why do I..."  
  
"I have been in contact with all of the gym leaders you faced and I am aware of the aid you received." The older man folded his arms across his chest as he stared down at her. "I will not condemn you for using any resources you could, especially given your unique set of circumstances. However, you have never truly faced a gym leader on your own. If you are incapable of that, why should I deem you worthy of your final badge?"   
  
"Hey!" Jay snarled as he lunged to his feet. "All I ever did was offer advice. I _never_ interfered with any battle, gym or otherwise. If you think that..."   
  
"I'll do it." Touko's interruption stopped Jay's rant in his tracks as he gaped at her. She fought to keep her eyes on Shaga, hands twisting together in her lap. "How soon can we do this?"   
  
His face didn't change, but Touko thought she saw approval in the eighth gym leader's eyes. "Why not now?" 

* * *

If Touko thought she'd been nervous in Shaga's living room, she was terrified standing in front of his gym. Behind her, Jay paced back and forth. "I can't believe he banned me from watching the battle," he muttered furiously. "It's not like it would change anything."   
  
"People battle gym leaders on their own all the time," Touko pointed out. "This shouldn't be any different." When the Kanto native scowled at her, she asked the question that had been weighing on her mind. "Do you...not think I can do it?"   
  
"What?" Jay stared at her before realization kicked in. He winced before grabbing her hands in his. "Touko, I know you can do this. But this limitation makes it sounds like every other gym battle you won was because of me, not you and your team. That's what I hate about this."   
  
Tension eased out of her as Touko nodded. "Okay. Okay." Impulsively, she pulled her hands free and wrapped her arms around Jay. It took a few seconds before she felt the returning squeeze. "I'll see you after the battle, alright?"   
  
"Yeah. See you after you win." Smiling, Touko pulled back and stepped through the gym door. Instantly, her nerves came rushing back as she stared at the battle-torn field, with Shaga waiting on the other side. As if sensing her nerves, all six of the Pokeballs on her belt started rattling. She instinctively placed a hand on Hiroshi's for comfort as she took her position in the challenger's box.   
  
"Ms. Sasaki." Shaga greeted her with a sharp nod of his head. "Are you ready?"   
  
Mentally going over her options, Touko plucked Sachiko's ball and enlarged it. "Yeah, I am. Gym Leader Shaga, I challenge you to a battle. Sachiko, let's go!" The newly evolved Eelektross easily landed on the field, lights flickering as she let out a battle cry. The Opelucid gym leader released a Fraxure, who snarled and clawed at the ground. "Acrobatics, now!"   
  
"Dragon Dance, then Assurance." Instantly, the Dragon type began whirling around as energy sparked through the air while Sachiko launched into an almost cartwheel, knocking the Pokemon back. It snarled as the pure Electric type flipped out of range. "Wait for it to get close, then attack."   
  
"Again, Sachiko!" Warbling once more, the Eelektross spun towards the Fraxure like a torpedo, aiming directly for it's face. Thankfully, the Assurance only changed her trajectory to his chest as the Fraxure was knocked to the ground unconscious. Touko let out a sigh of relief as she withdrew the cheering Pokemon. _One down, but that was the easiest one._  
  
"Let's see you handle this one," Shaga decided as a larger than usual Druddigon landed. Touko winced at the gleam of sharpened scales reflecting the lights. Rough Skin would be hard to handle, but thankfully she had an idea. The second Pokemon to make his gym battle debut, Kioto, pawed at the dirt with a hoof. Shaga lifted a brow at the sight of the Sawsbuck. "An interesting selection. Night Slash."   
  
"Leech Seed him once he gets close." Kioto obeyed, standing his ground until the Dragon Type was nearly on top of him before tossing his head, landing several small seeds all over his body. He managed to partially dodge the attack, but ended up with long cuts on his side. Cuts that instantly began to lighten as the Leech Seed kicked in. "Good job," Touko praised as she recalled the Sawsbuck for Hiroshi, who barked before lowering his head aggressively.  
  
"Ah, a clever plan." Shaga acknowledged as the Pokemon began exchanging blows. "May I ask the reason for the switch?"   
  
"I caught a Druddigon in the Dragonspiral Tower," Touko explained, wincing with Hiroshi took a hit that would require healing. "She knows Revenge."   
  
The Dragon gym leader nodded in approval. "Indeed, mine does as well. But I doubt yours knows this. Dragon Tail!" Roaring, the Druddigon took one last X-Scissor from Hiroshi before smacking him on the nose with a glowing tail. Instantly, the Samurott flashed red as his Pokeball activated, and then a confused Kioto returned to battle. "Quite a useful move, don't you think?"   
  
For a few seconds, Touko was baffled. "I really have to research how that move works," she muttered before pulling herself back to the battle. "Finish it off with Return!" Glowing brightly, Kioto charged forward, catching the Dragon type with his antlers and sending him flying off the field. Touko felt her knees shake as the Druddigon made to rise once more before it collapsed. _Ok, that's two._  
  
"Impressive, Ms. Sasaki," Shaga praised as he lifted an older Pokeball that Touko was pretty sure had been popular decades ago. "But you still have this to face." Touko gulped as a battle-scarred Haxorus was unleashed, staring at Kioto with hungry red eyes.   
  
"Leech Seed it now!" Touko commanded.  
  
"You know what to do." To the girl's shock, the Haxorus slashed a claw downwards, creating a huge rock that caught all of the seeds aimed at him. "Don't believe the same trick will work on me twice."   
  
Fighting down panic, Touko quickly changed strategies. "Kioto, come here!" Pulling out a Hyper Potion, she quickly sprayed the Grass/Normal type's wounds. If she could land a Leech Seed the next turn...  
  
"No more of that. Dragon Tail!" A shocked cry escaped her lips as Kioto was slammed in the stomach, sending him back to his ball and her starter entered battle again. "And now, Dragon Dance."   
  
_Crap. If I swap again, he'll get more chances to set up!_ _We have to finish this fast!_ "X-Scissor, now!" Hiroshi barked and attacked, knocking the Dragon type backwards. "Again!"  
  
"Dragon Dance once more!" The attack landed, but they weren't enough to stop the second dance from getting off. Shaga smirked through his beard. "I believe that should be enough. Dragon Tail!"   
  
It was like time stood still as Touko watched the Haxorus's tail begin to glow once more. A move that would hit with twice-boosted attack power on an already injured Hiroshi. _What can I do?! Hiroshi only knows Water moves and X-Scissor and Dragon is only weak to Ice and..._ And that's when it hit her. "Hiroshi! X-Scissor, but aim for his tail!"   
  
"What?" Shaga looked confused while Hiroshi instantly obeyed. Lowering his head, he charged forward and caught the Haxorus's tail on one of his horn ridges.  
  
"Push it back, now!" Both Gym Leader and Gym Ace's eyes widened as her starter slammed into the Haxorus with the power of a twice boosted super-effective Dragon Tail. He flew backwards, flipping over several times before slamming into the dirt, completely knocked out. Hiroshi let out a triumphant call as Touko fell to her knees, shaking in pure relief. The Samurott then pranced over for praise and pets. "Yeah, you did it. Good boy Hiro, good boy!" Touko cooed, laughing as he started licking her face.   
  
"Touko!" The girl turned at the sound to see Jay and Iris rushing in, both with bright grins on their faces. She managed to get to her feet just in time for Jay to reach her and pull her into a tight embrace. "That was brilliant, you were brilliant! Using his own tail against him..."   
  
Touko leaned against him and buried her face in his shoulder. "Yeah. But I _never_ want to do that _ever again."_ Her vehemence only made him laugh.  
  
"Ms. Sasaki, I believe this is yours." Touko pulled away just enough to see Shaga stepping forward with a TM and her final gym badge. "Well done."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So after a bunch of really easy battles, there was this one. And I was terrified through most of it. That Haxorus battle was one where I was sure I was going to lose Hiroshi because Haxorus was a little over half health and had just Dragon Danced twice and Hiro was as less than half. I didn't want to heal because I was pretty sure Haxorus would KO from full, so I ordered him to attack. And then Hiroshi crit and killed it. It's actually fitting. He beat the first gym leader Pokemon I ever fought with a crit, and now he beat the last one I ever fought with a crit too. He's a good boy.
> 
> Battle notes are below for those who are interested, happy Christmas/holidays to everyone, and I'll see you next time!👋
> 
> Time to fight Shaga. Akio and Kioto are level 43, everyone else is level 42. Sachiko is up front. Also gave the Rocky Helmet to Hiroshi.
> 
> Vs. Fraxure, male, and level 41. Dragon Dance and Acrobatics. Assurance and Acrobatics KO.  
>  Vs. Druddigon, male, and level 41. Leech Seed and Night Slash. Swap in Hiroshi and Revenge with Rocky Helmet and Leech Seed damage. Surf and Night Slash with Rocky Helmet and Leech Seed damage. Hyper Potion and Surf with Leech Seed. Surf and Night Slash crit with Rocky Helmet and Leech Seed. Hyper Potion again and Aqua Jet with Rough Skin damage, and Leech Seed/Rocky Helmet damage. Moomoo Milk and Dragon Tail with Rocky Helmet and Leech Seed damage, swap to Kioto. Return KO with Rough Skin.  
>  Vs. Haxorus, male, and level 43. Slash and Leech Seed dodge. Moomoo Milk and Dragon Tail swap to Hiroshi. Dragon Dance and X-Scissor. Dragon Dance and X-Scissor. X-Scissor crit KO! Win! Hiroshi levels up!


	32. Chapter 31: The Gates of Victory

"Have I ever told you how much I appreciate your telekinesis?" Blue commented with a glance over his shoulder as he awkwardly began digging into his pocket for their room key. Harry, holding several bowls of Pokemon food along with the covered dinners for Blue and Touko, chuckled before nodding. "Good, because I don't think I could have gotten all this up here without you." Grinning, the Kanto gym leader unlocked the door and ushered the Psychic type in.  
  
Instantly, the pair were swarmed by most of the other Pokemon, all eager for their dinners. Maggie, of course, had been fed outside as a Gyarados wouldn't fit inside the Pokemon Center outside of her ball, but both Blue and Touko's teams were soon devouring their food with gusto. But there was still one person missing. Akio, wiping crumbs from his mouth with an arm, pointed towards the bedroom when he caught Blue's eye. Nodding, Blue left the Pokemon to their food and cautiously opened the door.  
  
Touko was sitting cross-legged on the bed, staring down at her badge case. Carefully, Blue set down their meals before going to sit beside her. He couldn't hold back a smile at the sight of the full badge case. "Hard to believe you've gotten this far, huh?"  
  
"Yeah," the brunette sighed as she flipped the lid down. "And all it took was a psychopath threatening my brother's life to get over half of these." She gave Blue a miserable look. "I never wanted this. Even as a kid, the gym challenge was never something that interested me. So why am I here and Touya's..." Touko trailed off, shaking her head. "I just don't get it."  
  
The Kanto native wrapped an arm around her shoulders, squeezing her into a gentle side-hug. "I know. But it'll all be over soon, and you'll have your answers. I'll be with you every step of the way."  
  
Touko snickered. "Unless you're told otherwise by a Dragon type user."  
  
"Extenuating circumstances," Blue instantly shot back, making the girl laugh. "Have you tried any of the methods Shaga recommended?"  
  
Touko nodded before glancing over at the bag which still held the Light Stone. "Yeah, but it didn't heat up or react to anything. Which is probably for the best since I really don't want to have to pay for a new Pokemon Center if it did wake up." Her smile faltered and she dropped her gaze to her hands. "What do you think N will do if I can't wake Reshiram?"  
  
Blue pondered for a bit, weighing his words carefully. "I think he'd try to force it, honestly." Touko blinked and Blue tried to explain. "I don't think N wants to be wrong about you, and if you can't awaken Reshiram, that would make him wrong. So maybe he'd try to make Reshiram awaken? At the very least, I don't think his first reaction would be to kill Touya."  
  
Touko chewed her lower lip before nodding. "It makes sense. That...that helps. Thank you Blue." Blue flushed a bit and ducked his head, still unused to her using his real name. The girl then glanced over at the silver trays near the door. "We should probably eat before someone comes in and steals them for themselves."  
  
Blue nodded and the pair quickly fell into eating. As he sliced into his steak, a memory crossed Blue's mind. "You know, I still haven't found steak as good as those brothers made my first day in Unova."  
  
"Best food in the region," Touko agreed. "No trip to Unova is complete without it." She beamed at him from across their small table. "I'm glad you got to actually experience some real vacation time instead of just dealing with my problems."  
  
"Well, you insisted," Blue pointed out, making her laugh once more. "After all, I'm bad at vacationing, remember?"  
  
Snickering, Touko kicked at his foot under the table. Then the smile dimmed slightly. "I have to ask, what are you going to do once this is all over?" Blue paused, staring down at his half-eaten steak in silence. Touko reached out and covered a hand with her own. "You know I meant that offer about you staying with us if you want to. You don't need to stay in Kanto."  
  
"...Wouldn't that mean he wins though, if I leave?" the gym leader asked quietly. "Wouldn't that make everything I did for nothing?"  
  
"Are you talking about the professor or Red?" Blue's eyes shot up to meet Touko's who gave a small shrug. "Every time Red has come up in a conversation, you get a weird look on your face. Like you swallowed a glass of Rawst Berry juice or something. And combined with what I heard you say to _him_ before we got to Opelucid..." She squeezed his hand gently. "Blue, if you want to talk, I'm here to listen."  
  
Blue had never talked about it. Even when Agatha pushed at him, or Daisy prodded during those first few weeks after his loss, the boy had kept his mouth shut. The pain had felt too strong, been too powerful for words. It had been buried behind work, sweated out during training or Pokemon battles, or silently sobbed out into Gale's feathers or Shadow's fur in locked rooms at midnight. But here and now, with Touko watching him with steady blue-gray eyes, maybe he could.  
  
"...It wasn't a dream, me becoming Pokemon Champion. Even as a kid, especially as a kid, it was treated like an inevitability. I don't know when it started, or why, but I grew up knowing I would be champion one day." Blue let his gaze fall to the table as he tried to find the right words. "When we talked about it at the dinner table, Gramps and Daisy and me, it was never 'if', but 'when'. And maybe it's like that for a lot of kids when you're four or five, but it felt..." His breath hitched, and he had to fight to continue. "It felt like the only time Gramps would take me seriously was when we were talking about it. When Professor Oak talks about you becoming Champion, you believe him."  
  
Touko squeezed his hand again and Blue couldn't help but squeeze back. "So I finally turned 10 and started my journey and it was _easy_. Easier than I ever would have expected. Me, a ten-year-old kid was flying through gyms that adults had trouble with, sometimes using Pokemon who should have lost!" A laugh leaped out of him as he ran his free hand through his hair. "I beat Brock with a Pidgey, an Eevee, and a Rattata! A bunch of Normal types completely steamrolled a Rock type gym, and it was all uphill from there. Every battle, every gym leader, I won. Except...except for him."  
  
"Blue," Touko whispered softly. A bitter smile made its home on Blue's face.  
  
"Yeah, he's the only person I've never beaten. Even in that very first battle in Gramps' lab, the day we got our Pokemon. He crushed me with a Pikachu that had been caught less than five minutes before while I was battling with Shadow, who'd I'd known for months at that point. And it was like that every single time. In Cerulean City, on the S.S. Anne, I always lost." Vaguely aware of the tears welling up in his eyes, Blue hastily wiped them away. "I was flying past him, crushing every gym before he got there, and I couldn't keep up with him in an actual fight."  
  
"But I kept going, got all 8 badges, and made it through Victory Road. I battled the Elite 4 and then, just as I'm being registered into the Hall of Fame, who shows up? Red, ready to challenge the League. And he beats Lorelei and Bruno, crushes Agatha and Lance, and makes his way to me. My first, and my last, battle as Champion of Kanto."  
  
"And the worst part is, after all that I went through, Gramps only shows up after I lose. To tell me I've disappointed him and go on about how _proud_ he is of Red, how he always knew _Red_ could do it." Blue closed his eyes and tilted his head back, as though it would keep the tears from falling. "I think it would have been easier if I'd never become Champion. Because making it all the way, reaching the top, and having it taken away so _fucking_ easily? It's the worst feeling in the world."  
  
The feeling of a hand on his cheek made his eyes blink open, and he tilted his head down to meet Touko's gentle gaze. "I said it before and I"ll say it again. Professor Oak is awful, an idiot and an asshole, and you deserve **_so_** much better. Blue, what you did was _amazing_ , especially at your age. _You_ are amazing, and I'm sorry that you haven't been told that nearly as much as you should."   
  
A watery laugh escaped his throat without permission. "I'm...I'm really not," he weakly protested.   
  
" **Yes you are** ," Touko refuted fiercely. "You're brilliant, an amazing trainer, and so incredibly kind. And while I hate that you grew up in a horrible situation, the fact that you came out of it being strong and capable and kind is just more proof of how amazing you really are! And I don't care if I have to follow you around for the rest of our lives just screaming about it, but I will get it through your head just how great you are and that you deserve good things to happen to you!" She folded her arms across her chest and nodded at the dumbstruck look on Blue's face. "Don't you think I won't! Heck, I'll get Bel and Cheren involved as well!"   
  
Almost on impulse, Blue gaze the hand still holding hers a sharp tug, pulling the girl into his chest for a hug. It only took a few seconds for her to return it. "If I'm amazing, what does that make you?" he muttered into her hair.  
  
Blue could feel her smile as she turned to kiss his cheek. "Lucky. And **_very_** stubborn." That just made him laugh. "Blue, can I ask you something?" At his grunt of agreement, she continued, "When was the last time you talked to Red?"   
  
"...Before the battle," he admitted in a mumble. The pair had avoided each other ever since Red had been brought down from Mount Silver three years ago. "Guess he didn't have much to say to me."   
  
Touko hummed as she ran a hand down his back. "Maybe you should. Professor Oak was awful to you, but you might not have been the only one he hurt." Blue involuntarily stiffened, making Touko pull back to look him in the eyes. "I'm not saying you have to do it now, or ever if you don't want to. But, think about it?"   
  
At that moment, she could have asked him for anything, and he wouldn't have been able to deny her. "...Alright." 

* * *

"No. Nope. Absolutely not." Touko shook her head rapidly as she took a few steps backwards. "Huuro is my least favorite gym leader of all time and I _can't_ do it!"   
  
Blue grimaced as he glanced from the terrified girl to the open chasm in front of them. While he'd initially been impressed with the way the Unovan League Gates were designed to represent the gym leaders and their typings, he had to admit this might not have been the smartest idea. "Touko, I can feel the air pressure from here. You aren't going to fall."  
  
Touko's eyes darted from his to the pit and back again. "Jay, I can't. I just...It's too high! And there's nothing down there and I just..." Her arms came up to protectively cross her chest as her back pressed against the now closed gate.   
  
The Kanto trainer thought for a few seconds before an idea came to him. Grimacing and hoping this would work, he walked over to the girl who was eyeing him warily. "Sorry about this."   
  
"Sor-GAH! PUT ME DOWN!" Scooping her up into a bridal carry, Blue winced as she squirmed around in an effort to break free. An effort that quickly turned into clinging desperately to his shoulders as he stepped onto the first pillar of air blowing up from the hole. "Oh god oh god oh god," he heard her whisper-chant as she buried her face in his shoulder.   
  
The urge to stop and comfort her was strong, but Blue grit his teeth and just kept moving until he reached solid ground once more. "Touko, we're across. I'm going to put you down, alright?" She didn't respond, making the gym leader frown. "Touko?"   
  
"...I hate you so much right now." Grinning, he briefly pressed his lips to her hair.   
  
"Yeah, I know. You think you can stand?" When he felt her nod, Blue gently lowered his arm until her feet touched the ground. As she stepped away from him, he beamed at her. "You know, that honestly went a lot better than I thought. I was sure you would have punched me by now."   
  
"Jerk," Touko muttered as she stalked towards the last gate, leaving a snickering Blue to follow in her wake. "I don't know why I like you."   
  
"Because I'm strong and capable and kind and all those other nice things you said yesterday?" Touko huffed and pointedly looked away from him, which only made him laugh more. "Hey, it was either that or getting Gale out to carry us across."  
  
"I'm telling Adeku to put in a bridge or something there when we reach the League. Or at least have a safety net put in!" As the door registered her badge and slid open, Touko eyed Blue out of the corner of her eye. "But thanks."   
  
"No problem." Grinning, the pair made their way forward, where Victory Road and the Pokemon League, as well as N and Touya, awaited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does anyone else think that Huuro/Skyla sets things up as the worst safety hazards ever? The cannons in her gym, the propellers blowing you in B2W2, and then this in BW? So many potential injuries or deaths. And it's worse for Touko with her fear of heights. Poor girl. At least she has Blue to get her through one way or another. 
> 
> Leave a like and a review if you enjoyed and I'll see you next time! 👋


	33. Chapter 32: The Guardian Elites

"Touko!" The sound of her name made both her and Jay turn away from the man blocking the entrance to the Pokemon League. Her team had been all trained up and Jay had promised she was as ready as she could be. But she hadn't expected a rather dusty Bel and Cheren to be scrambling their way up the stairs of Victory Road towards them. Panting, Bel leaned over to rest her hands on her knees as she gasped for air. "Oh, thank Arceus we caught you!"   
  
"Cher? Bel? What are you two doing here?" Touko asked as she stepped away from the gentleman who was still looking over her badge case. "Did something happen? Was it Team Plasma?"   
  
Cheren shook his head as he wiped the sweat marks off of his glasses. "Did you really think you would be doing this without us?" He glanced up at the intricately carved pedestal with the four rooms marked with the signs of the Elite 4. "We might not be allowed to help you with the Elite 4, but like hell am I letting you face Team Plasma on your own!" Jay snorted and Cheren gave a small wince. "Uh, no offense, Jay."   
  
"It's fine. I'm grateful for the backup," the Kanto trainer easily waved it off. He glanced over his shoulder at the entrance guardian. "There's no problem with that, right?"   
  
With an exasperated sigh, the man pulled several capsules out of his coat pocket and tossed them at everyone other than Touko. "Keep these capsules on your Pokeballs at all times. The only Pokemon that can be released from their balls are the challengers except in the event of an emergency. If any of them break, her challenge will be considered void and you all will be escorted back here and an inquiry will occur to determine whether the release interfered with the challenge."   
  
"Does Team Plasma breaking in and trying to defeat Champion Adeku count as an emergency?" The flat stare aimed her way made Bel shake and duck behind Cheren for cover. "It was a real question," she muttered, making Touko fight back a giggle.   
  
Sighing and rubbing his temples, he turned back to Touko and returned her badge case. "The Elite 4 can be battled in any order and all must be defeated in order to gain access to the champion. If you defeat them all, just go to the statue." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder at the large statue of...something behind his shoulder. "It'll take you where you need to go. If you lose or decide you forfeit, just talk to me and I'll let you out. But otherwise, you're stuck until this is done. Got it?"   
  
"Yeah." Touko nodded as she rubbed Hiroshi's pokeball for comfort. "Has anyone else been through here recently? Long green hair, ball cap, more than a little crazy, probably holding a black rock?"   
  
Squinting a bit, the man shook his head. "You're the first challenger we've seen in weeks. Why?"   
  
Touko hesitated before catching Jay's eye, who shook his head in warning. "No reason. Thanks. Let's get going, guys." Swallowing down her nerves, Touko lead the way inside the gate, which closed and locked behind them. Hissing out a breath, the girl glanced at the four openings. "So, who's first?"   
  
Cheren rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Shikimi will probably be the easiest for you with Kioto. Maybe she would be best to go first?"   
  
"But Giima's going to be easy too since she has Akio," Bel countered, pointing at the second room marked by a flipping coin.   
  
Touko looked at Jay, a question in her eyes. He smiled and shoved his hands into his pockets. "We're in a locked order back home, but since you have the option, I'd go with the one you're most worried about." Bel and Cheren stopped squabbling to stare at him and Jay quickly added, "You're only going to lose resources the longer this goes, so it's better to do the hardest one first, while you're all healed up and everyone is fully rested."  
  
It made sense, but that didn't ease the fear churning in her gut as Touko nodded and entered the room on the far right. As her friends wandered over to take a seat on the far right, Touko stared at Renbu, Fighting type user and one of the deadliest members of the Elite 4. He folded his arms across his chest as she took her spot in the challenger's box. "Touko Sasaki. So you have arrived."   
  
"Yeah," she agreed, grateful that her voice didn't quiver. "I take it Adeku told you about me?"  
  
"Indeed," Renbu agreed. "We were also told to use our full strength on you, to prevent you from reaching him at all cost. Knowing this, will you still challenge me?"   
  
The Unovan girl swallowed before glancing over at her friends. Cheren shot her a thumbs up and Bel lifted up a pair of pom-poms she'd pulled out of her bag. Jay just smiled and nodded. Her nerves easing, Touko freed a ball from her belt and tossed it onto the field. Yuma stretched out his body, a Twisted Spoon dangling from a makeshift necklace. "I've come this far and I'm not backing down now. Renbu, I challenge you to a battle."  
  
A fierce battle grin on his face, Renbu released a battle-scarred Throh. "Good answer. Now, Bulldoze!"   
  
"Psychic!" At their trainer's commands, the Gothitelle fired off a twisted mass of purplish energy that sent the Fighting type staggering backwards. Shaking it off, the red Pokemon slammed a foot into the ground, knocking Yuma to his knees. "Now Shadow Ball, quickly!"   
  
"Take this!" Renbu lunged forward to spray his Pokemon with what looked to be a Full Restore, just before the Throh was knocked on his butt by Yuma's attack. "Now Payback."   
  
"Finish him, Yuma." Even as the Payback hit his gut, Yuma's eyes glowed as the second Psychic took out Renbu's first Pokemon. Sighing in relief, Touko quickly recalled the Gothitelle and sent out Sachiko. Her eyes narrowed at the purple Pokemon she vaguely recognized as a Mienshao. "Acrobatics, Sachiko."   
  
"U-Turn." Touko's eyes widened as the Fighting type crashed into Sachiko before flashing and returning to one of the balls on Renbu's belt. He smirked as a Sawk landed on the field, only to be smashed by the Acrobatics. "Don't think that will be enough to defeat us."   
  
"How do those moves even work?" Touko muttered to herself as the Eelektross fired off a Thunderbolt to break Sturdy as the Sawk healed up. "End it with Acrobatics." With her warbling cry that made the lights flicker, Sachiko wove her way through the air before flipping over to divebomb the Sawk. This time, it didn't get up.   
  
"Interesting. I was told you were a subpar battler," Renbu commented as his Mienshao returned to the field. "Carried only by your ally's aid."   
  
"I'm a scientist," Touko countered as Hiroshi entered battle and took the U-turn on the chin. Too bad the Conkeldurr didn't handle the Aerial Ace half as well. "If there's one thing I know how to do, it's learn. And why shouldn't I learn from the best?" She heard Jay laughing from the sidelines and grinned, especially since Surf easily washed the Conkeldurr away without even attacking.   
  
Renbu hummed in response as Mienshao was released once more. "Indeed. Now, I am down to my last Pokemon. Let's see how you handle this. Jump Kick!" The purple Fighting type launched himself into the air, aiming directly for Hiroshi.   
  
"Let him come, then Aerial Ace." Barking in acknowledgement, Hiroshi hunkered down and let the attack land on his protective helmet. The Mienshao's eyes widened before he was tossed into the air and then pierced with the Samurott's horn. Both hit the ground hard, but Hiroshi remained standing as Renbu's ace fell. The Fighting type Elite 4 member clapped as Touko's friends cheered.   
  
"An excellent battle, and your first step towards Adeku. I should warn you that he will not be easy to defeat."   
  
"He's not the one I'm worried about," Touko muttered to herself as she reached into her bag to retrieve her supply of potions and Full Restores. There were still three more trainers to fight.

* * *

Even though she knew it was narcolepsy, Touko had to fight back a grimace as Cattleya hid a large yawn behind a hand even as Akio victory-danced happily around the knocked out Gothitelle. The Hoenn native recalled her Pokemon and gracefully approached the girl. "Hmm, I did quite enjoy our battle, but I don't believe that you did."   
  
"Battling really isn't my thing," Touko easily confessed as she released Yuma and Sachiko from their balls. Both of them and Akio needed healing before the next battle. "If it had been my choice, I wouldn't be here at all."   
  
"Yes. I suppose it's that boy battling Adeku you're here for?" Touko fumbled the Hyper Potion as she stared at the disinterested Elite 4 member in shock. "Oh, you didn't know he was here? How surprising."   
  
"N is battling Adeku? How did he get here, the guard said that no one passed him!" Cheren asked as he lead Jay and Bel over to the pair. "And shouldn't you be more concerned?!"  
  
"Oh I- _yawn_ -am," Cattleya promised as she yawned once more. "But Adeku made all of us swear to keep Touko away from the champion. And as Elite 4 members, we do have a duty to fulfill."   
  
"If N is here, we have to hurry," Jay muttered, a hand going to his rattling Pokeballs to soothe them. "Is there any way we could speed this up? Maybe have the other Elite 4 members forfeit?"   
  
"Unfortunately, that's impossible," the Psychic user dismissed. "The locks that keep the statue from moving are tied to our Pokeballs. They don't unlock until our teams are unconscious, to help prevent someone from reaching the Champion after losing. No, our hands are tied here." Growling, Jay turned away as Touko bit her lip.   
  
"But, but there has to be something you can do," Bel protested. "Can't you call for help, or use a backdoor or something? Team Plasma is attacking and..." The blonde trailed off as Cattleya started laughing, intermixed with yawns.   
  
"You're sweet to believe that, but there is one thing you must be aware of. Adeku has been champion for years, and is very proud. The worst thing for him wouldn't be a loss, but for him to be saved." She gave a dreamy smile as Touko recalled her team. "Which is why he ordered the League locked down the second you passed the gate." She turned back towards the large bed in the back of the room, ignoring how the other four gaped at her. "I suggest you not lose, as Adeku doesn't appear to be doing very well right now."   
  
Grimacing, Touko recalled her Pokemon and raced towards the door with Cheren, Bel, and Jay hot on her heels. They were running out of time.

* * *

_CLAP!_ Kenta staggered back a step and shook his head at the Fake Out. Across the battlefield, Giima smirked as his Liepard's tail flicked eagerly. "Well I can at least say I got one hit in," he mused as the Darmanitan lifted a fist and brought it down hard on top of the Dark type, easily knocking it out. "An excellent battle, my dear. And your third victory, I believe?"   
  
"Right," Touko muttered as she sprayed a badly injured Akio with a Hyper Potion. The Bisharp's Aerial Ace had left a deep gash on the Scrafty's chest before being knocked out by Brick Break. Even as the skin healed, the Scrafty gave a whimper of pain.   
  
A gentle hand came down to squeeze her shoulder and Touko glanced up to see Jay smiling at her. "He'll be fine," the Kanto trainer promised. "Potions just sting, that's all."   
  
"Yeah," Touko agreed as she recalled Akio and pushed herself to her feet. "It's just Shikimi now."   
  
"Is there?" Giima asked with a curious tilt of his head. "Or is that all you want?"   
  
"What are you talking about?" Bel asked as she stowed away her pom-poms. "The elevator should be unlocked after Touko wins one more battle."   
  
"Ah, but what of after?" mused the Dark type user. "If Adeku manages to beat that N boy who's no doubt running circles around him, he'll likely want a battle with Miss Touko here. And otherwise," he shrugged and grinned cheekily at Touko. "Well, you likely won't be joining him and N won't like that, will he?"  
  
Touko glanced down at her bag, still holding the inert Light Stone. "I'll deal with it when I deal with it, but it won't matter if I can't beat Shikimi," she pointed out and folded her arms across her chest.  
  
"True," Giima acknowledged. "But if I could offer a warning. Trust an old gambler. There is nothing in the world more dangerous than a man who doesn't think he can lose."

* * *

"AH! NOT THE BOOKS, NOT THE BOOKS!" Touko quickly recalled Hiroshi, but the damage was done. The last Surf which successfully knocked out Shikimi's Chandelure had also knocked several books from their shelves, where they lay in slowly draining puddles of water. Moaning, the Ghost-type Elite Four member fell to her knees in despair. "Ah, my books."   
  
"I...I'm sorry," Touko apologized, feeling her hands twist together like a naughty child. "I didn't mean to ruin them."   
  
"It's your own fault," Cheren pointed out as he removed a shoe to drain some water out. Jay nodded as he wiped water out of his hair and Bel squeezed her skirt dry. "Why did you place all these books on a battlefield anyways?"   
  
"There were shields! Like the ones protecting you from...attacks..." Shikimi trailed off as she glanced around the room. "The shields died. Why are they down?"   
  
Then, a familiar smell reached Touko's nose. The sharp smell of ozone. Her eyes met Jay's in horror. "Zekrom. It must have knocked the power out."   
  
"Will we still be able to use the elevator?" Jay asked as he launched himself to his feet. Shikimi flinched and nodded. "Then we need to go, now."   
  
Sprinting out of the room, the four quickly made it to the statue, which was lit by flickering blue lights. Touko spotted a lifted glass case that had once been covering a button and quickly pressed it. With a sharp shudder, the elevator slowly began inching its way downwards. "Adeku lost, didn't he?" Bel whispered.   
  
"Most likely," Cheren agreed, reaching out to squeeze Bel's hand in comfort. "If he won, then Zekrom wouldn't have been able to knock out the power." Touko's hands twisted into her bag strap, wishing she'd been able to awaken Reshiram _once_ before they came here. It would have been good to have some Legendary backup. Then, she felt Jay slide an arm around her shoulder and squeeze it gently. Returning his smile with a weak one of her own, the elevator creaked a few times before coming to a halt. There was an ominous pause, and then the doors slowly slid open.   
  
Standing over an unconscious Adeku and holding a faintly glowing Dark Stone was N. He beamed and held out a hand. "Ah, my queen. Welcome home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So why didn't Cheren show up for his battle before Victory Road? Because I decided it made more sense for both him and Bel to come along and support Touko. They're good friends and we all need more backup when dealing with Team Plasma. The Elite 4 itself was...interesting. Marshall was as scary as always, but I didn't think enough happened to describe each battle with the Elite 4. I had some scares, but none too severe and thankfully no deaths. But now we have N and Ghetsis to deal with, the hardest parts of the main game.
> 
> Notes on the battles are below for those who are interested. Leave a like and a review if you enjoyed and see you next time! 👋
> 
> Ok, time for the Elite 4. Fighting Marshal first since he terrifies me the most. Yuma is up front.
> 
> Vs. Throh, male, and level 48. Psychic with Special Defense drop and Bulldoze. Full Restore and Shadow Ball. Payback and Psychic KO.  
>  Vs. Mienshao, male, and level 50. U-turn on Sachiko to swap out.  
>  Vs. Sawk, male, and level 48. Acrobatics with Sturdy save. Full Restore and Thunderbolt. Stone Edge and Acrobatics KO.  
>  Vs. Mienshao, male, and level 50. U-turn to swap out.  
>  Vs. Conkeldurr, male, and level 48. Aerial Ace. Surf KO.  
>  Vs. Mienshao, male, and level 50. Jump Kick to 31 HP and Surf OHKO. Win.
> 
> Now for Caitlyn. Yuma is still up front, but is now holding the Spell Tag.
> 
> Vs. Reuniclus, female, and level 48. Shadow Ball and Thunder with paralysis. Thunder to 37 HP and Shadow Ball KO.  
>  Vs. Musharna, female, and level 48. Crunch and Charge Beam with Special Attack boost. Crunch KO. Moxie boost on Akio.  
>  Vs. Sigilyph, female, and level 48. Psychic with special defense drop and Thunderbolt OHKO.  
>  Vs. Gothitelle, female, and level 50. Crunch crit OHKO. Win!
> 
> Grimsley now. Sachiko is up front.
> 
> Vs Scrafty, male, and level 48. Sand Attack and Acrobatics crit OHKO.  
>  Vs. Krookodile, male, and level 48. Earthquake and Surf OHKO.  
>  Vs. Bisharp, female, and level 50. Aerial Ace crit to 30 HP and Brick Break OHKO. Moxie boost and Akio levels and doesn’t learn Rock Climb.  
>  Vs. Liepard, female, and level 48. Fake Out and Flinch. Brick Break OHKO for Kenta. Win.
> 
> Finally, Shauntal. The one I’m least worried about. Akio is up front.
> 
> Vs. Cofagrigus, female, and level 48. Crunch with Mummy and Shadow Ball. Full Restore and Crunch with defense drop. Crunch KO.  
>  Vs. Golurk, level 48. Surf OHKO. Hiroshi levels up.  
>  Vs. Jellicent, female, and level 48. Leech Seed dodge and Surf. Leech Seed hit and Surf. Horn Leech KO.  
>  Vs. Chandelure, female, and level 50. Surf OHKO. Win!


	34. Chapter 33: The Truth Comes Out

Blue's hand dropped to Shadow's Pokeball as he stepped protectively in front of Touko. From the corner of his eye, he could see Cheren and Bel grabbing their own Pokeballs as well. Touko, on the other hand, stepped past him to look N right in the eyes. "Did you kill him, N?"  
  
"Hmm?" N appeared baffled until his eyes landed on the unmoving Adeku. "Ah, him. No, he's still alive. He didn't take his loss very well and I was forced to defend myself." He casually nudged at the Champion with a foot until he flopped over onto his back. Other than what looked to be a badly broken nose, Adeku appeared unharmed. "Foolish man. I am not one to be stopped by a mere title." His eyes brightened as they met Touko's once more. "But you're here now, and thus we can begin."  
  
"Wait! Where's Touya?!" Bel flinched back as N's gaze turned to her, but she didn't look away. "Shouldn't he be here too?"  
  
N smiled that eerie smile of his and lifted the hand that wasn't cradling the Dark Stone. "Why, waiting for us, of course." He snapped his fingers and everything started to shake. The ceiling, already cracked from the battle earlier, began to break apart as first pebbles and then larger chunks came crashing down to the floor.  
  
"Shadow, Harry! Protect!" Quickly, Blue grabbed Touko and tugged her down, bracing himself above her as his Umbreon produced the powerful shield to protect them. Across the room, Adeku was psychically pulled over to Cheren and Bel as Harry lifted his spoons to do the same. It was over in a few minutes, but most of the room had collapsed by the time the tremors subsided. As the dust settled, Blue cautiously lifted his head to find N standing in the exact same position as before, but everything else changed entirely.  
  
With the walls collapsed, it was easy to see the strange castle surrounding the room, built of white and black stones. Even from this distance, the Kanto trainer could see how the majority of the rooms were lit up, as though a thousand eyes were watching them. At Blue's nod, Shadow let the Protect drop. Together, he and Touko stood once more. "What the hell is that?"  
  
"What has just appeared is Team Plasma's castle." N's fingers snapped once more, and a large black staircase slid out from the base of the castle to lock onto the base of the former Championship room. The green-haired male casually stepped onto the staircase before glancing back at Touko. "You must come to the castle, as well. Everything will be decided there. Whether Pokémon will be liberated from people, or whether Pokémon and people will live together… We will see whose belief is stronger... And our result will change the world." There was a shimmer of air and he vanished.  
  
Harry's Protect fell as well as Cheren pressed a hand to his temples. "When I'm Champion, I'm taking a look into government spending. How exactly did Team Plasma build an entire castle and nobody noticed?" the trainer groused.  
  
Bel knelt down to check Adeku's pulse, as he hadn't moved during the earthquake. "I think he's okay, but he definitely needs a doctor," she said as she pulled some wet wipes from her bag. "Touko, what do we do now?"  
  
Biting her lip, Touko glanced from her friends to the castle and back again. "I think someone needs to stay with Adeku and wait for help. They had to have felt the earthquake and..." She glanced over her shoulder and winced at the crushed wreckage of the elevator. "...It's likely they'll be working on digging a way down. But N won't wait for us. I need to go, at least."  
  
"Then I'll stay," Bel volunteered, moving into a sitting position as she wiped blood off the champion's face. "You all are better battlers than I am, I'd only get in the way."  
  
"Bel, you're not a liability," Touko promised as she crouched beside the blonde. "Despite what some people, and N in particular, seem to think, Pokemon battles aren't the biggest thing in the world."  
  
Bel giggled as Cheren and Blue awkwardly shuffled in place. Quickly, she reached up and wrapped her arms around Touko. "Be safe, and bring Touya home." Touko quickly squeezed back before breaking away and turning towards the steps with a grim look on her face.  
  
"I'll lead," Blue quickly volunteered, recalling Harry and whistling for Shadow. Cautiously climbing onto the steps, he winced at the very high drop that awaited a fall. "Touko, don't look down."  
  
"Wasn't planning to," the girl muttered as she followed her friend. Cheren brought up the rear, a hand on Touko's shoulder to steady her as they carefully made their way up the stairs and into the castle proper. She wrinkled her nose as the golden walls and polished marble floor that awaited them. "Well, this wasn't what I expected."  
  
"All the trappings of royalty, I presume," Blue added, making the girl giggle. Cheren's eyes widened as he climbed through the hole himself.  
  
"I'm going to have to fire everyone in the government, aren't I?" he mused as he glanced around. "There is no way Team Plasma got all this money without robbing the government in some form, right?"  
  
Blue blinked a few times. "Cheren, I don't think the Champion can fire anyone in the government."  
  
"Well, I can sure as hell try," the Unovan trainer countered, making Touko laugh and Blue grin and lift his hands in surrender. "At the very least, _someone_ needs to look into where all this money came from."  
  
"Later, Cher," Touko promised as she spotted a staircase at the far end of the room. "Let's focus on taking down Team Plasma for now." Nodding in unison, the three headed up the stairs, rushing down long hallways that oddly enough contained no one. At least, not until Shadow skidded to a stop, rings glowing and growling at a corner. Blue instantly froze, barely avoiding falling over when Cheren and Touko crashed into him. "Sorry!"  
  
Blue brushed off the apology, focused on his starter. "Shadow, Protect." As the barrier slid into place, the air shimmered and the Shadow Triad appeared. One knelt in the corner that Shadow had sniffed out, one was on the other side, and one blocked the route behind them. "What are you three doing here?"  
  
The one behind them stated quietly, "It is our lord N's wish that you be moved to the innermost part of this castle." There was silence, and then as one, the ninjas removed knives from their belt.  
  
"I take it that you're not listening to N anymore," Touko commented as Shadow growled, strengthening the Protect.  
  
"We, the Shadow Triad, have always been and will always be the loyal servants of Ghetsis," the second replied as he carefully shifted, looking for a weak point in Shadow's Protect.  
  
"You have delivered Reshiram, but Ghetsis believes that you would never join us even if defeated. But we must have Unova's Dragons," declared the third, tossing something at them that bounced off harmlessly before exploding. "And you know the Umbreon can't hold that up forever."  
  
Thinking quickly, Blue quickly hissed in Touko's ear. "I'm going to have Shadow attack. Once he does, Cheren and I will hold them off while you get to N." Touko's eyes widened as she began to protest, but Blue cut her off. "We can handle them. But you have to stop N." Briefly, he caught her hand and squeezed it. "You can do this, Touko."  
  
Touko bit her lip, and then nodded. "If either of you get hurt, I'll never forgive you," she whispered as she shifted slightly, ready to break into a run.  
  
Blue just shot her a cocky grin. "I think we can handle ourselves. Dark Pulse, now!" With a howl, the shield fell and an aura of darkness erupted from the Eeveelution, knocking two of the Shadow Triad backwards. The third lifted a knife to aim at Touko as she sprinted towards the next staircase, only to jump backwards when a large Serperior lunged forward, slamming a Leaf Blade down that left a sizable gash in the floor. Blue grinned as he released the rest of his team. "I see you've been training, Cheren."  
  
The bespectacled boy smiled back as a Haxorus and Gigalith also entered the field, followed by a familiar trio of Liepard, Unfezant, and Simipour. "Well, I had to do _something_ while you two were fighting a terrorist situation." Pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, he lifted a hand. "Now, let's show them what some real Pokemon trainers can do!"  


* * *

 _They're going to be fine,_ Touko mentally chanted as she raced up a third flight of stairs. Since a ninja hadn't appeared from nowhere to stab her, she could only assume that the battle was going well for Jay and Cheren. But that didn't stop the fear as she hurried to find N. The sooner she found him, the faster they could end this for good. Panting, the girl was forced to slow down to catch her breath, only for a now familiar scent to reach her nose. Ozone.  
  
Swallowing, Touko turned towards the large arched doorway that appeared to lead to a hall of some sort. Her team's Pokeballs rattled at her belt, making her smile and press her hand to the top of Hiroshi's for comfort. Slowly breathing out, she placed her hand on the door and pushed it open. "Let's do this."  
  
Just as she expected, N was there, lounging on an ornate throne of black and gold. Its twin, slightly smaller and white instead of black, held a smirking Touya. Both of their eyes gleamed as she stepped into the throne room, and the doors slowly slid shut behind her. N beamed in delight and lifted his hand. "Welcome to our castle, my queen."  
  
Touko tried to meet her brother's gaze, but it was hidden under the brim of his hat. "I'm not here to join you, N," she stated as she strode forward, her fear slowly transforming into rage.  
  
"Oh?" The King of Plasma tilted his head in confusion. "But you followed all of my challenges. You even brought the Light Stone with you." His eyes darted to her bag briefly before sighing. "Though it seems Reshiram has not responded to you yet. Perhaps its slumber left it more drained than Zekrom; truth is always in less supply than ideals, after all. No matter. Soon, you will awaken Reshiram and together, we can..."  
  
"Why are you doing this?" N blinked in surprise at the interruption and Touya shot her a frightening glare, but Touko just crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her chin. "Not the stalking and kidnapping of my brother to force me into this insane role, though you need to explain that too. But why do you want to take over Unova in the first place?"  
  
"Why?" N laughed, an odd creaking sound that didn't match his looks. "What I desire is a world for Pokémon, and Pokémon alone. I will separate Pokémon from people, so Pokémon can regain their original power. Then, and only then, will Pokemon be happy!"  
  
Touko blinked a few times and then facepalmed. "This is Pochi all over again, isn't it?" she muttered as she plucked a random ball from her belt. "Okay, so you believe that all Pokemon want to be free from humans. Is that it?"  
  
"Of course. And with your help..." N trailed off as Touko released Akio from his ball. The Scrafty eyed the man up and down before flipping him off, making Touya gasp and lunge to his feet.  
  
"How dare you..."  
  
"Shut up, Touya. I'll deal with _you_ later," Touko promised before tapping the Dark/Fighting type on the shoulder. "Akio, N here thinks that what you truly desire is to leave and go back into the wild. What do you think?" Akio blinked a few times, glanced from N to Touko, snorted, and then started full-on belly laughing. Touya and N stared in shock as Akio fell to the floor, laughing so hard he couldn't stand anymore. Touko smirked in pride. "Yeah, that's what I thought."  
  
The King of Plasma gaped at the Scrafty before shaking his head. "Well, he's your Pokemon after all, so clearly you..."  
  
"You're not a god." Touko sighed and rolled her eyes. "The world you describe is one where everyone listens to what you want and what you believe. Well, guess what? _You don't know everything_. Hell, from where I stand, you're pretty much a massive idiot." She lifted a hand and began listing things off. "From the moment we met, you've harassed me, threatened me and the people I care about, used the fact that you've essentially brainwashed my brother into forcing me into dangerous battles, and committed multiple acts of terrorism. And throughout it all, you've remained _convinced_ that I'm doing all this because I _want_ to." The air around her started getting warmer and Touko could faintly smell smoke through all the ozone. "You call yourself a King, but all I see is a misguided, insane, narcissistic stalker who belongs in a cell getting a bunch of therapy." She smirked at the still-gawking men. "So, really no different than most other kings in history, really."  
  
"You...you..." N's stammers faded away as shock slowly shifted into rage. "You've lied to me. All this time, you've never been worthy of being my queen!" Furious, he lunged to his feet and tossed the Dark Stone into the air. For a few seconds, the air was still. Then lightning crackled through the sky as the stone twisted and morphed into the powerful Dragon/Electric type. Zekrom roared as he stared down at Touko.  
  
Despite the situation, Touko wasn't afraid. Instead, she just laughed as Akio finished his laughing fit and climbed to his feet, bouncing from foot to foot and ready to fight. "So you finally see the light, huh? But the thing is, I _never_ lied to you. I told you from the beginning what I thought of you, and you just didn't listen."  
  
"You can't win," Touya warned from where he stood, watching from the throne. "Lord N has the power of Zekrom on his side, and you are alone."  
  
"Oh?" Touko lifted a brow at her brother and smiled. "I was reminded of something recently. I always have my team with me, and I know that we don't need a legendary Pokemon to beat anyone that crosses our path." Her eyes met with N's as she smirked. "I never wanted to be a battler, but you wanted me to meet you here. So why don't you see just how good I've gotten?"   
  
And that's when the smoke overpowered the ozone in the air. Touko's bag flashed once, twice, and then a glowing white orb shot out of it, hovering in the air as red mist began to swirl around it. N gasped and pointed. "Your Light Stone...Reshiram is..."   
  
Then the world went white.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, I really thought today would be the last chapter. But then the Shadow Triad wanted to fight and Touko wanted to chew N out so I guess that the actual battles are for next time! Cheren is also using his post-game team here because I really never understood why your final battle with him in the main game just had him use 4 Pokemon. Let the boy have his rock monster and axe dragon! Ah well, at least N sees the truth, and we get a call-back to Pochi. Wonder how many of you remembered that little Lillipup in a dress?
> 
> Anyways, leave a like and a review if you enjoyed and I'll see you next time! 👋


	35. Chapter 34: The final battle

Panting in exhaustion, the three members of the Shadow Triad glared at Cheren and Blue resentfully. Despite their physical skills, they just weren't able to stand up against the power of two Pokemon trainers and their teams. The few Pokemon they sent out (an Absol and a pair of Pawniard) were swiftly defeated and neither trainer had a mark on him. Smirking, Blue folded his arms across his chest. "Had enough?"   
  
There was a silence, and then the center ninja bowed his head. "We admit defeat." As one, the three reached up and yanked three keys from their necks and tossed them in front of Blue. One was gold, one silver, and the other a dark and rusted gray. "In honor of your victory." He pointed upwards. "Go up these stairs and use the silver key on the first door you see. There, you will find answers, though you may not like what you learn." Then, a bunch of smoke filled the air and when Gale and Cheren's Unfezant finished blowing it away, the trio was gone.   
  
Cheren frowned at the keys. "Think we can trust them?" Blue chewed his bottom lip for a few seconds before crouching down to scoop up the keys. "I mean, it could be a trap or a trick."   
  
"No, I don't think so," Blue muttered, pocketing two of them and tossing the silver key from one hand to the other. "We check it out quickly, and then we go find Touko." Cheren gave a reluctant nod of agreement as the pair recalled their team and hurried up the stairs. As the Shadow Triad member had said, the silver key slid perfectly into the lock of the ornate silver door they came to, opening to reveal an odd room. Half of ti, the one connected to the silver door, was incredibly fancy with polished marble floors and paintings on the walls. But the other half, separated by a set of gold jail bars, was cracked and muddy, with a worn cot in one corner and a rather dirty toilet in the other. And lying on that cot was a rather familiar figure, with a long metal chain attaching him to the far wall.  
  
"No way," Cheren whispered as he pushed past Blue and strode over to the bars. "Touya?! What are you doing in a cell? Shouldn't you be with your precious king?"   
  
Touko's brother sat up, eyed Cheren with undisguised disdain for a few seconds, and then gave a small sigh. Rising to his feet, he strode over to the bars where Cheren stood fuming. Then suddenly, his hand shot out to snag Cheren by the collar and drag him face-first into the bars with a crash. "Hey!" Blue shouted as he lunged forward and broke the pair apart. "What the hell was that? You okay, Cheren?"   
  
"Mostly," the bespectacled boy muttered as he rubbed his sore nose and adjusted his glasses. The anger on Touya's face faded into shock as he gaped at the pair.  
  
"...It didn't break. It didn't..." Touya dove forward and grabbed the bars, making Blue and Cheren flinch back. "Cheren? That's really you?!"   
  
"Of course it's me, you dingus!" Cheren snarled. "Who else would it be?!"   
  
"You...they use illusions all the time! It's never been real before!" Touya yelled, anger bringing some color back to his cheeks. "What are you doing here, how the hell did you even _get_ here?" His eyes darted to Blue for a second. "And who's this guy?"   
  
Cheren sputtered and Blue frowned. "You don't recognize me? From Nimbasa?"   
  
"Nimba...I haven't been to Nimbasa in _months!_ " Touya snarled, throwing his hands up in the air briefly. "Not since Plasma jumped me and stole my team! So sorry if I hurt your feelings by..."   
  
"Cheren," Blue interrupted quietly. "Is there a Pokemon in Unova that can transform itself to look like other people? One smart enough to sound and act human?"   
  
Cheren slowly nodded. "Yeah. Zorua and Zoroark. Their ability, Illusion, lets them take the form of any Pokemon, and legends say they could take on the forms of people too, and trick them."   
  
"And there's a lot of them," Touya grumbled, making the other trainers stare at him. "They've come to me in groups before. Three is the max I've seen, but there could be more. But you haven't answered my questions, who are you and why are you here with Cheren?"   
  
Ignoring the trapped male for the time being, Blue pulled the remaining keys out of his pocket and shoved them into Cheren's hands. "Get him out and explain what you can. I need to get to Touko."   
  
"Touko? As in my little sister?" Touya shouted as Blue immediately turned and sprinted for the door. "Hey, get back here! How do you know my sister?!"

* * *

As the light and heat faded, Touko lifted her head to see not one, but two of the Unovan Legendary Dragons standing in the room. Zekrom lowered its head and snarled at the newcomer as N, covered protectively by a dark gray and red Pokemon stared in awe. But Reshiram, with the pure white body and glowing blue eyes, merely kept its gaze fixed on Touko. Akio glanced from dragon to trainer in shock before stepping protectively in front of her in a battle position. "Easy, Akio," Touko whispered as she and Reshiram continued their staring contest, silently reaching into her pocket. "It's not here to hurt us."   
  
N started to laugh. "I knew it. I knew you were meant to be..." He trailed off in shock as Touko flung the Quick Ball at the Pokemon of Truth. There was a flash of red as Reshiram was sucked inside, then the ball shook three times before vanishing to the PC. "You...what did you do?"  
  
"I told you, didn't I?" Touko explained as she casually wiped her hands on her shorts. "My team and I don't need a Legendary to kick your ass. So N, _King of Plasma_ , I challenge you to a battle." Akio let out a cackle as Zekrom, its nemesis tucked safely away in cyberspace, let out an angry roar as electricity charged up around it.  
  
"You...WE WERE MEANT TO RULE UNOVA TOGETHER!" N yelled as Akio dove for Zekrom, charging up a Dragon Claw. "WE WOULD HAVE FREED ALL POKEMON FROM THE ENSLAVEMENT OF..."   
  
"Is the shouting really necessary?" Touko grumbled as Zekrom stumbled back from the hit to its face. "I mean, I have much more of a reason to be angry than you." She nodded at the Zoroark crouching at N's side, the one who used to be Touya. "So much for never lying. Did you ever really have my brother?"   
  
N never answered, his jaw dropped in horror as the Scrafty landed a third Dragon Claw that made Zekrom shudder for a few seconds before crashing to the ground, unconscious. There was a flash of light as the Dragon/Electric type twisted and warped until it was just a round black stone on the ground. There was silence, other than Akio's panting, and then N let out a scream of rage that echoed throughout the throne room. "I WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIS!" Howling, the Zoroark lunged towards Touko, claws extended.   
  
But there was a flash of red from Touko's belt as loyal Hiroshi dove forward and caught the Dark type's claws with his horn. Growling, he forced the Zoroark back before tossing his head, sending the Pokemon leaping into a fighting crouch. "It's over, N. Even if you beat me, you'll never get your hands on Reshiram. And Akio just proved that Legends can be beaten." Bruised and sore, the Scrafty limped over to his trainer and snickered. "Team Plasma is finished. You've lost."   
  
N's gaze flickered to something behind her, and that was all the warning Touko had before the ground gave out from under her. Screaming, Touko and her Pokemon tumbled down into one of the large pits on either side. Latching one arm around Hiroshi's neck and the other grabbing Akio by the hand, Touko yelled out, "Surf, now!" There was a blast of water from the Samurott, enough to slow their descent into a bruising fall rather than a fatal one. Gasping in relief, Touko glanced up to see N staring down at her, his Zoroark at his side and six strange men in robes surrounding the large gap.  
  
"Touko," N began as he rested a hand on the Dark type's shoulder. "We could have..." _SHUNK_. Touko gasped as N glanced down to see three red claws jutting out from his stomach. He turned his head to see the Zoroark smirking grimly at him. "But...I..." The king of Plasma's eyes rolled back in his head as the claws were removed and he tumbled down the rubble to collapse in a heap at Touko's feet.   
  
As Hiroshi and Akio growled and crowded protectively around their trainer, the Zoroark's form shuddered and shimmered, eventually reforming as Ghetsis, the face of Team Plasma. He sighed as he gazed down at the pair. "I knew you would be trouble, but the boy insisted."   
  
"You..." Touko's mind whirled as she glanced from likely dead N to Ghetsis and back again. An old tale, one found in the mythology section of most Unovan libraries rang through her mind. "There are stories...of Zoroark marrying humans and to keep their disguises, stealing children to raise as their own."   
  
"You do know your history," Ghetsis nodded, his hands resting on the false cane. "Of course, one does not need to have a husband in order to kidnap anyone. But our plan required at least one human to summon a legendary Dragon. N succeeded at that, but his fixation on you lead to his doom."   
  
Carefully, Touko slid a hand into her bag, digging around for some potions. "So, why do all this? Why build Team Plasma and try to take over Unova?"   
  
"Why?" The illusion of a man threw his head back and laughed. "Foolish human, do you not see what you're up against? As Pokemon, we can summon and control the elements at will, create black holes, read thoughts, control the very weather itself! And yet we are slaves to humans, trapped in mechanical balls and forced to bow our heads to you." His eyes flashed red briefly as he glared at the girl. "Humans. Weak, powerless, useless. My only desire is to restore the world to truer times, when Pokemon ruled as they rightfully should!"   
  
"So you would have killed him anyways," Touko whispered as she sprayed the Full Restore on Akio's back. "N was nothing to you."   
  
Ghetsis gave a shrug. "I will admit, the boy was as close to a Pokemon as he could be. But sadly, he was just too human." He smiled down at her, mouth full of sharp teeth as the six other men began to warp into Pokemon. A snickering Cofagrigus, a stern Bouffalant, a sparking Eelektross, a Seismitoad who slapped its hands together, a flashing Bisharp, and a deadly Hydreigon floating above them all, charging up a Focus Blast. "Now, to deal with you."   
  
Then, a whistle pierced the air and there was a flash of gold and red. Instead of firing off the attack, the Dark/Dragon type was slammed into from the side. It slammed into the floor and tried to lift a head, but a pair of claws kept it locked to the ground as Gale glared at it. "Nice story," came a familiar voice from the entrance. "But I think you messed up the ending." Hands in his pockets and smirk on his face, Blue Oak strode casually into the throne room, surrounded by his team sans Gale. "I'm pretty sure you were there in some way when I said this, but if you want to hurt Touko, you'll have to go through me."   
  
"You, human!" Ghetsis roared as the remaining Pokemon charged for the Kanto native. Shadow glanced up for permission, and at Blue's nod, lead the charge with a defiant howl. He leapt into the air, firing of a Dark Pulse that had the Cofagrigus flinching backwards. As it tried to rally, Shadow merely repeated the move, knocking the Ghost type out.   
  
Pawing the ground, the Bouffalant charged forward only to be frozen in place as Harry the Alakazam lifted him in the air. He held him stead for a few seconds before dropping the Normal type and firing off a Focus Blast, knocking the Normal type out as well as removing a thick chunk of his luscious hair. Maggie the Gyarados and Beast the Arcanine lunged forward as one, Beast bowling the Eelektross over with a Flare Blitz as Maggie crushed the Bisharp with a Aqua Tail. The Seismitoad flinched and tried to hop away, but was blown off his feet by the Leaf Storm Eggbert the Exeggcutor sent his way.   
  
As Blue handled the Pokemon, Touko quickly released Kenta. "Kenta, I need you to throw Akio into the air right now," she ordered in a whisper, eyes darting to where the disguised Zoroark stood paralyzed with rage. "Akio, knock him out. We can't let him get away."   
  
The Darmanitan glanced at the Scrafty in concern, and Akio nodded eagerly. Shrugging, the Fire type held out a hand for Akio to step into, and the Dark/Fighting type was launched into the air. Thankfully, Ghetsis didn't notice as he snarled at the approaching Blue. "You...how? You're nothing, nothing!"   
  
Smiling, Blue shook his head. "Nah, but I am the distraction." Ghetsis's eyes widened, right before a dark orange foot came slamming down on top of his head. There was a crack, then a noise like glass shattering as the green haired human's image faded to that of an unconscious Dark type, lying on the ground. Sighing in relief, Blue offered a hand to Touko, who was being boosted up to solid ground by Kenta. She sighed as he pulled her into his arms and buried his face in her shoulder. "Fuck, I've never been that scared in my life."   
  
"Me either," Touko admitted as she hugged him back, pressing her lips to his cheek. "But you came just in time. You save me, Blue."   
  
She could feel him smiling into her shoulder. "I think you would have handled yourself just fine." She gave a small hum of agreement as the door to the throne room blew open and people came charging in. Cheren and Bel were leading the charge, followed by a staggering Alder, the Elite 4, and a familiar figure in blue and a red baseball cap. Touko reluctantly pulled herself free from Blue as Touya approached her, and then she immediately decked him.   
  
"Ow! Damnit, what's with all the hitting today?" Her brother complained as he nearly fell over from the force of her hit. "First Cheren, then Bel of all people, and now you! Is _no one_ happy to see me?"   
  
"Touya." Tears welled up in her eyes as Touko flung herself into her older brother's arms. "It's really you! You're alive!" Touya immediately stopped complaining to wrap his arms around his sister, kissing her forehead briefly.   
  
"Sorry I didn't call. It's hard to get cell reception in jail. And they took my cell phone," he added, making her giggle. "Cheren filled me in. I can't believe you thought I'd join up with Team Plasma of all people!"   
  
"Well my first thought wasn't ' _he's being impersonated by a Zoroark'_ ," Touko snarked back, drawing away briefly. "Mom's going to kill you, you know."   
  
"Yeah." The siblings shared a smile before Touya's eyes fell on Blue. "Now will someone please tell me who he is and how he knows you?"  
  
Laughing, Touko reached out and grabbed Blue's hand, drawing him closer to the group. "Touya, this is Blue. We have a lot to talk about."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's finally done. I would have showed Touko fighting N more, but I couldn't think of a reason for N to have any other Pokemon besides Zekrom and Zoroark so they were just cut. And having Blue fight Ghetsis's Pokemon was planned from the beginning. He's one of the most powerful trainers in Pokemon history, let him show off a little. As for the regular fights, they were pretty easy. I did box Reshiram, who I named Tomomi, as I always do, and I didn't lose anyone in the battles. Hydreigon was surprisingly easy, since it missed Focus Blast twice before being knocked out. On another note, Tomomi has a Quirky nature and is impetuous and silly. So Reshiram has the personality of a golden retriever. You're welcome.
> 
> Just the epilogue and then we'll be done, so look forward to that. Battles are below for those who are interested, leave a like and a comment if you enjoyed, and I'll see you next time for the finale! 👋
> 
> Tomomi is sent to the box and it’s time to fight N. Akio is up front. Oh boy.
> 
> Vs. Zekrom, male, and level 52. Fusion Bolt to 87 HP and Dragon Claw. Light Screen and Dragon Claw. Giga Impact to 18 HP and Dragon Claw KO. Moxie kicks in.  
>  Vs. Klingklang, level 50. Brick Break from Kenta to break the Light Screen and Zoroark goes down.  
>  Vs. Carracosta, male, and level 50. Leech Seed and Stone Edge miss. Horn Leech KO.  
>  Vs. Vanilluxe, male, and level 50. Fire Punch OHKO.  
>  Vs. Archeops, male, and level 50. Stone Edge to 70 HP and Surf OHKO. Hiroshi levels up.  
>  Vs. Klingklang, level 50. Fire Punch OHKO. Kenta levels and N is done.
> 
> Ghetsis appears and attacks Touko for beating N. In-story, Blue fights. But here are the notes anyways. Akio is up front.
> 
> Vs. Cofagrigus, male, and level 52. Crunch crit OHKO, but Akio loses Mummy.  
>  Vs. Hydreigon, male, and level 54. Focus Blast miss and Brick Break. Focus Blast miss and Brick Break KO! Akio levels up.  
>  Vs. Bouffalant, male, and level 52. Brick Break and Head Charge. Akio’s down to 67 HP, but Reckless is gone thanks to Mummy. Full Restore and Brick Break. Brick Break KO.  
>  Vs. Eelektross, male, and level 52. Flamethrower and Crunch. Flamethrower and Crunch. Full Restore on Sachiko and Flamethrower. Flamethrower and Crunch. Full Restore on Sachiko and Flamethrower. Flamethrower with burn and Crunch with Defense Drop. Full Restore again and Crunch. Flamethrower and Crunch KO.  
>  Vs. Seismitoad, male, and level 52. Horn Leech OHKO.  
>  Vs. Bisharp, male, and level 52. Brick Break crit OHKO from Kenta. Ghetsis is down.


	36. Epilogue: A Clean Break

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is it everyone. The final update for Healing Wish. Before we get started, I'd like to thank everyone who left a like or a comment on this run. This story was a lot of fun to write and I'm happy that Blue and Touko made it to their happy ending. But I couldn't have gotten there without all of your support! So thanks for everything, and let's dive in!

When Blue had first left Kanto, the only person there to see him off was Agatha. So it felt a little strange to have so many people standing in front of the check-in to say good-bye as he headed back to Kanto. "Given the circumstances, quarantine should be pretty short for your team this time," Professor Araragi commented as she carefully put Blue's Pokeballs into a specialized carrying case. "But I'll see what I can do to speed things along."  
  
"Thank you, Professor," Blue said sincerely as he adjusted the shoulder strap of his bag. "For everything."  
  
The professor smiled and flipped her hand back. "As long as you're willing to collab with me in the future. I have more than a few topics you might be very interested in."  
  
The Kanto native smiled before he was nearly bowled over by Bel's hug. "Have a safe trip home, Blue!" the blonde cooed as she squeezed him tightly. "Don't forget about us!"  
  
"I doubt I ever will," Blue commented as he hugged her back. As she stepped away, he offered a hand for Cheren to shake warmly. "I expect I'll be hearing about Unova's new champion soon."  
  
The bespectacled boy smirked back. "Of course. Someone has to start looking in to all the corruption that allowed Plasma to get so powerful. And Arceus knows Adeku isn't going to do it." The proud smirk turned fond as Cheren released Blue's hand. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Blue."  
  
Smiling back, Blue looked over at his final well-wisher. Touya was recuperating at home, surrounded by his returned team and his equally relieved and furious mother, but he knew he couldn't leave without seeing Touko again. The brunette smiled before stepping in for a tight hug. "You call me once you're back on the ground, and once you figure out your future plans, alright?" she demanded before kissing his cheek. "You have a place with us, Blue. Always."  
  
"I promise," Blue whispered as he desperately squeezed her tight, trying to soak up as much of her as he could. "But I think you'll regret it when your phone goes off around 4 in the morning." He felt her giggle before reluctantly releasing her. "Thanks for everything, Touko."  
  
"I should be the one saying that," she countered, stepping back to rejoin Cheren and Bel. Blue hesitated a few seconds before stepping towards the check-in line, only to pause.  
  
"Screw it," he muttered under his breath before sliding his bag off his shoulder. Letting it fall to the ground, he strode back over to Touko, who just smiled as he tugged her back into his arms. "You don't want this, tell me now."  
  
"Honestly, it's about time," she quipped back before he kissed her, one hand pressed to the small of her back and the other gently cradling her head. He could feel her own arms wrap about his neck as someone (likely Bel) let out a squeal of delight. Someone let out a wolf whistle and there were smatterings of applause from all around. But all Blue could focus on was Touko, and feeling of his lips on hers. Eventually, they had to pull apart, and Touko grinned impishly up at him. "Well, now you _definitely_ have to call me once you get back to Kanto."  
  
Laughing, Blue briefly kissed her again. "Yeah, I really do."

* * *

_Three Days Later_  
  
It had been a long time since Blue had set foot in Pallet Town. After becoming Viridian City gym leader, it felt a lot easier to just rent an apartment than commute every day from Pallet Town. And he hadn't taken his grandfather's judging stares all that well, filled with resigned disappointment. But Blue wasn't here to see Professor Oak. There was someone else he had to talk to.  
  
Shadow rubbed his head against his trainer's leg in comfort as Blue paused outside the two-story house that was home to his former best friend. Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly before walking over and rapping sharply on the door a few times. To his surprise, it was not Red or his mother than answered the door, but a rather familiar (and chubby) Pikachu, who dropped to the floor as the door slid open. Electricity sparked at his cheeks as the Pokemon glared at his trainer's rival. "Look, I need to talk to him," Blue muttered, fighting the urge to avert his gaze. "Can you just call him down?"  
  
There was silence, and then the Pikachu turned and zipped down the hall and up the stairs. Blue stood awkwardly in the open doorway, unsure if he was allowed inside or not, before Red came stumbling down the stairs, only one shoe on and starter clinging to his shoulder. The rivals, and former best friends, stared at each other for a minute before Red lifted his hands to sign. _"Blue?"_  
  
"Hey Red," Blue muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Can I come in for a second? I...I have something to say." The youngest Champion of Kanto nodded slowly and Blue hid a sigh of relief as he stepped inside with Shadow and closed the door behind him. He hoped that no one saw him and alerted his grandfather; he didn't think he could deal with both him and Red in the same day.  
  
Red and his Pikachu just stared at him. The electric mouse's gaze was full of his usual hostility, but Red's face was eerily blank, like it was during a Pokemon battle. Like his brain was moving so fast that his face knew it couldn't catch up so it stopped without even trying. It was that familiar expression that made it easier for Blue to begin. "I'm sorry."  
  
The blankness instantly turned into shock, but as Red lifted his hands to begin signing again, Blue held up his own. "Wait, just...let me finish." Clearly unsure, Red let his hands drop so his rival could continue. "I know I was a jerk to you, especially when we were on our journeys. I..." Angrily, he ran a hand through his hair. "You know and I know that you were Gramps's favorite and I couldn't handle it. And then we started training and you always kept beating me and I just..." Shadow whined and pawed at his leg in worry. "But we were ten. We were ten years old and I let it mess us up. We were friends first and I..." Sighing, Blue let his gaze meet Red's once more. "Look, I'm leaving Kanto. I resigned as Viridian Gym Leader yesterday and I didn't want to leave without apologizing. So you can stay in Kanto, do whatever you want. Just..."  
  
" _Are you leaving because of me?"_ Blue blinked before mentally running through his sign language again. Nope, exactly the same. When he didn't respond, Red's hands began moving faster and faster. _"I know I've been staying here longer than I usually do, but Mom really wanted to spend time with me and then you left and the Professor..."_ The signs became jumbled, the way they usually did when Red became flustered or angry. _"If you want to stay, I can leave. You don't have to..."_  
  
"Red, I'm leaving because of him." Both of them froze, one in shock and the other because this was the first time he'd said it out loud. "Gramps, he...he messed me up. And I had to get all the way to freaking _Unova_ to realize just how badly he did. I've spent _years_ trying to earn his approval, trying to make him care about me as much as he cares about you. If I stay here, if I go back to the gym and act like nothing happened, I'll just fall back into old patterns." Blue's hand dropped to his pocket, where his phone now sat with Touko as the background. "I've got people who really care about me now. If I have that, why stay here?"  
  
The Pikachu glanced from Blue to Red before shocking Red, making the trainer yelp. He glared at his starter as the electric type pointed at Blue angrily. Red gave a grimace before lifting his hands once more. _"I didn't mean to do it."_  
  
"Do what?" Blue asked.  
  
_"Take the championship from you. I never wanted to be champion. I went looking for you and then Professor Oak found me and brought me to the lab, talking about giving me a Pokemon. I wanted to travel, battle strong trainers. It was fun, and I was good at it. I'd never been good at anything before, but I was good at battling. I could even beat you! And you were always faster than I was, getting badges before I did."_ Red shifted from foot to foot nervously. _"You knew everything about Pokemon and how moves worked and Professor Oak always said I wasn't as smart as you, but I could beat you in a battle. I wanted to catch up. You were good at everything and I was good at battling and I thought I finally caught up to you."_  
  
To both of their surprise, Blue started laughing. "Fuck, she was right," he muttered before meeting Red's confused eyes. "Gramps fucked us both up, didn't he?"  
  
_"...Yeah, he did."_ Red snorted before joining Blue in his mirth. And for a few seconds, it was like time rewound. Back to when they were kids, best friends who dreamed of being trainers. Just two friends, leaning against the wall and laughing. Though back then, they didn't have two starters watching them like they'd gone nuts.  
  
As the laughter died down, Blue reached into his pocket and pulled out a copy of the letter Lance had given him when he'd resigned. "You know, Lance mentioned this when I went to quit." Red wiped the tears from his eyes before reaching over. He skimmed over the letter briefly before his eyes widened. Blue smirked. "Think you can handle it?"  
  
_"Seriously?"_ Red glanced from Blue to the letter before grinning back. _"Let's do it!"_

* * *

_1 year later_  
  
If you had asked Blue over a year ago where he'd seen himself, he would have probably talked about the Viridian Gym and working with his grandfather. He would have been miserable, but that wouldn't have mattered to him. But instead, Blue was leaning back in an uncomfortable plastic chair, watching the arrivals monitor in the Alola National Airport on Akala Island. Shadow sat under the chair with his head pillowed on his paws as Blue watched the times and flights change.  
  
There was a tap on his shoulder, and Blue turned his head as Red offered him a malasada. Shocker was already eagerly devouring his from his habitual perch on Red's shoulder. "With all the malasadas he's eaten since we've gotten here, he'll probably turn into an Alolan Raichu if you gave him a Thunderstone," Blue remarked as he shook his head. Shocker glared at him, only for his eyes to widen in betrayal when Red snickered.  
  
_"You know he's right,_ " Red signed to his starter. Shocker huffed angrily before dropping down and shoving Blue's former snack into his face. The rivals snickered before a ding echoed through the air. Blue immediately glanced back at the monitors, only to give a sigh of relief as he spotted the flight number Touko had given him. She'd landed.  
  
The past year had been a long one. Blue had been dealing with finding and training a replacement gym leader, moving to an entirely different region, as well as handling becoming one of the new managers of Alola's Battle Tree alongside Red and rekindling their friendship. Touko had been finishing up her internship, dealing with all the fallout of Team Plasma and N's eventual trial (as Ghetsis could not be tried being a Pokemon), the trial of Bel's father, and Touya's own recovery. The distance had made things hard for them, but the couple had made due with plenty of phone calls, emails, Skype chats, and the occasional face-to-face visit.  
  
But things would be different now. Touko had been accepted as an assistant under Professor Kukui, focusing on the studies of Pokemon moves. Which meant at least a year in Alola with a likely possibility for renewal. It had been about 5 months since they'd seen each other in person, and Blue was impatient to see his girlfriend once more.  
  
_"It'll be nice to meet her in person,"_ Red calmly signed. _"She seems nice. Not sure what she sees in you though."_  
  
Blue grinned and shoved at Red's shoulder with his own. "You're just jealous. Which is fair, since I have the most amazing girl in the universe and you have a Pikachu draining your wallet for malasadas." Shocker let out a squeal of anger, shaking his little fist as Red started laughing again. There was a vibration from his phone, and Blue glanced down to read Touko's text. "She's off the plane, on her way here."  
  
_"I'll go check for her bags,"_ Red decided as the carousel behind them started to pick up. _"She said teal with white flowers, right?"_  
  
"Yeah, thanks," Blue replied as he stood up, eyes scanning the crowd for Touko. Then he spotted her, striding quickly down the hall with a bag under her arm and exhaustion in her eyes. But her face lit up when she spotted Blue, and she rushed over to throw her arms around him as they kissed for the first time in too long. "Hey."  
  
"Hi." Sighing, she rested her head on his shoulder. "I hate flying and I'm never doing that again. Everyone will just have to visit us here, I'm staying forever."  
  
"No complaints here," Blue agreed as Shadow crawled out from under the chair to rub at both of their legs. "Missed you," he admitted before kissing her again. But a cough from behind them made him pull away to glare at Red, who was standing there with a few bags with Touko's name on them.  
  
Grinning, Touko stepped away from Blue and offered a hand to Red. "Nice to finally meet you in person, Red. And you too, Shocker," she added when the Pikachu puffed up in annoyance. "Glad I'll have someone to show me all the tourist spots in Alola."  
  
"Hey!" Blue mock-protested, making Touko and Red laugh. But Blue wasn't really angry. It was a beautiful day in the most beautiful region, and he was with his best friend and the girl he was sure was the love of his life. What more did he need?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that was the last chapter. The Alola thing was planned from the beginning, because it made a great finale point for Blue. He's in an entirely new region in a better position (arguably) than in Kanto, and he's canonically working alongside Red. Just needed to add Touko there and his life is pretty golden. Oak doesn't get a cameo here since he really doesn't deserve it; he's not worth either Blue or Red's time anymore.
> 
> Once again, thanks to everyone who read, left a like or a comment, and hopefully enjoyed this run. Have a great day and maybe I'll see you all later for a new run. But now, Healing Wish is officially completed!

**Author's Note:**

> So, this isn't a run I was expecting to write, but the plot bug got its teeth in me and I felt I needed to write this. As a note, Blue's team is sort of a mashup from all his teams from the games and an Umbreon added instead of the other eeveelutions to separate it more. Alakazam, Gyarados, Arcanine, and Exeggutor are from the team he uses in the PWT tournament, his Pidgeot is his first catch and most commonly associated pokemon. He won't be the trainer in the games, just a traveler joining them as Unova has some interesting similarities to the Kanto games if you look at it in a certain way.
> 
> Another thing that didn't come up in the prologue; I'll be using the Japanese names for the human characters from Unova. But not for the Pokemon as I do not have the time to look all that up. We'll get to meet some of them next time. Hope you all enjoyed this, leave a like and a review if you did, and see you all next time!


End file.
